Public Defender 3 (10109441)

City of Santa Fe Springs

Ruidoso (NM)

On-site

USD 60,000 - 90,000

Full time

4 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Geographic Pay Differential

Retirement/Benefits information

Job summary

Law Offices of the Public Defender in New Mexico seeks a capable attorney to represent indigent clients in misdemeanor and juvenile matters, with potential involvement in low to mid‑level felonies. The role includes mentoring junior staff, handling plea negotiations, and managing appeals. A valid NM license and at least one year of experience are required.

The position may include geographic pay differential, full‑time hours, and eligibility to work in the U.S. Details provided upon hire.

Qualifications

Licensed attorney with current licensure by the New Mexico Supreme Court or eligible for limited license.
One (1) year of experience as a practicing attorney required.
Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
Employment eligibility to work in the U.S. is required; no visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

Represent clients in misdemeanors, juvenile cases, and low to medium level felonies with limited supervision.
Provide guidance and mentoring to junior attorneys and law clerks.
Conduct plea bargains and prepare/argue motions; attend seminars and maintain professional knowledge.
Meet with clients, interview witnesses, investigate cases, and proceed to trial or appeals.

Education

Attorney licensure eligibility

Job description

Objectives Summary

The objective summary of this job classification is to provide professional legal services for the Law Offices of the Public Defender in representing juvenile and adult indigent clients in areas of litigation, appeal, counsel, research and analysis.

Pay Information

This position qualifies for an additional hourly pay differential of $5.05 hourly / $10,504 annually.

Hourly pay differential reflects geographical and retention pay incentives, as applicable to the position advertised.***

For more information about living in Ruidoso, New Mexico, click here.

Essential Functions

Attorneys at this level should be able to represent clients in all misdemeanors or juvenile cases and low to medium level felonies with limited supervision.
Provides guidance and mentoring to lower levels Attorneys and Law Clerks.
Works under the direction and guidance provided by higher level Attorneys and/or Managing Attorney.
Will conduct plea bargaining when appropriate with District Attorneys and other parties to establish agreements to resolve cases.
Will attend seminars, training classes and review current professional literature to maintain and develop professional skills and knowledge.
Drafts/reviews, proposes and prepares reports and legal documents.
Meet with clients, file and argue motions, investigate cases, interview witnesses, proceed to trial and file any necessary appeals.
Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge derived from investigation and case law to determine whether a client should enter into a plea or go to trial.
The Appellate Division attorneys of this level interview clients and trial counsel, reviews the record and researches to support arguments that errors have been made by the lower courts.
Performs related and other duties as assigned.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Note: An Employee with this classification may be required to perform at a PD3 level or duties of a lower classification without additional compensation. Employee will be required to show competence in all levels PD2 through PD3.

Minimum Qualifications

Current licensure as an attorney issued by the New Mexico Supreme Court or eligible for limited license issued by New Mexico Supreme Court and one (1) year of experience as a practicing attorney.

Employment Requirements

Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.

Employment Eligibility

Employment eligibility to work with the Law Offices of the Public Defender (LOPD) in the U.S. is required. We are not able to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa.

Collective Bargaining

This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement and all terms/conditions of that agreement apply and must be adhered to.

Default FLSA: Exempt

In accordance with DOL FLSA and LOPD NMAC and LOPD’s Compensation Agreement that is signed upon hire during onboarding, classifications identified as Exempt may be compensated for all authorized hours worked over 80 hours in a pay period. These classifications are eligible for compensatory time (paid time off accrued) at an even (1:1) rate if they request to work extra hours in advance and get approval from their supervisor. These classifications are not eligible for cash payments for extra hours worked. Compensatory time may be paid-out upon leaving the department depending on budget availability.

Geographic Pay Differential

This position may qualify for Geographic Pay Differential. Please refer to the LOPD website, Geographic Differential, for more information.

The Law Offices of the Public Defender is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, spousal affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, political affiliation or religion, mental or physical disability, or serious medical condition.

This job advertisement may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

Preference may be given to multilingual applicants fluent in English and other languages.

The State's General Services Department Risk Management Division, Employee Benefits Bureau (EBB), is responsible for the procurement and oversight of employee benefits - including Medical, Pharmacy, Dental, Vision, Short & Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance. The State's Group Benefits Plan also offers COBRA, Flexible Spending Account Programs, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Erisa Administrative Services, Inc. (Erisa) is the State's Third Party Administrator. They provide benefits administration to all plan participants, and offer knowledgeable staff to answer your questions. To learn more about the benefits available please click here.

Benefits

In addition to the benefits listed above, the Law Offices of The Public Defender offers a retirement plan and a medical program for retirees. For more information regarding the plan you can visit the following websites:

Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico Website

New Mexico Retiree Health Care Authority

Total Compensation Package

As an employee of the Law Offices of the Public Defender (LOPD), you receive regular pay for your services. The other part of your total compensation is the value of the benefits LOPD makes available to you and, if applicable, your family. The Total Compensation Estimator is for illustrative purposes only and provides benefits-eligible employees an estimate of their total compensation based on selected options from the drop-downs in the estimator.

Please click here to download the Total Compensation Estimator on our website, Join Our Team section.

This estimator is not a legal document. All benefits are governed by the actual benefit plans, which have precedence over the information reported in this calculator. Rates are not guaranteed and may change annually based on legislative decisions. If you have any questions about this estimator, don't hesitate to get in touch with Human Resources at LOPD-HR@lopdnm.us

State and Federal Laws - Rights of Employees* Employers are required by state and federal law to post certain information concerning the rights of employees. The required posters are listed below and may be printed individually using a standard printer and paper.
Human Rights Act Poster- PDF file
New Mexico Job Health and Safety Protection (State OSHA)
New Mexico Workers' Compensation Act and supply of Notice of Accident (NOA) Forms
Human Trafficking - (English) (Español) (Navajo)
Paid Sick Leave - (English) (Español) (Vietnamese) (Diné Navajo) - PDF
The Whistleblower Protection Act
Immigrant and Employee Rights Section Right to Work - (English/Español)

New Mexico state minimum wage is $12.00 per hour effective January 1, 2023. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. More information can be read at Minimum Wages Information.

Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law - (English), (Español)
Job Safety and Health Protection - (English), (Español)
Employee Polygraph Protection Act - (English), (Español)
Family Medical Leave Act - (English), (Español)
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act - (English), (Espanol)
Employee Rights under USERRA - (English), (Español)

Please contact LOPD-HR@lopdnm.us for questions.

PD3 Q:1

Current licensure as an attorney by the Supreme Court of New Mexico and at least one (1) year of experience as a practicing attorney.
Current license in good standing from another state and eligible to apply for public employee limited license pursuant to Rule 15-304 NMRA and at least one (1) year of experience as a practicing attorney.
None of the above

PD3 Q:2 How many total years of experience as a practicing attorney do you have documented in the Work Experience section of your application? PLEASE NOTE: If the years of experience that you indicate below cannot be found in the Work Experience section of this application, your application may not be eligible for further consideration. It is recommended that you attach documents

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