Public Defender – Indigent Defense & Pretrial Advocate

City of Tucson; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 71,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Paid time off

Professional development

Pension plan

Training and staff support

Volunteer opportunities

Job summary

City of Tucson's Public Defender's Office seeks an Assistant Public Defender to defend indigent clients in City Court, handle pretrial functions, and advise on direct and collateral consequences of criminal prosecution.

The role requires court coverage, client interviews, evidence prep, motions, trials, and collaboration with supervisors and staff; bilingual English/Spanish preferred, Juris Doctorate and Arizona Bar in good standing required.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate and under one year of related experience.
• One year of experience in criminal litigation.
• Member of the Arizona State Bar Association in good standing.
• Bilingual – English/Spanish preferred.
• Experience in Criminal Law and trial work desirable.

Responsibilities

• Prepare cases for trial by interviewing clients, reviewing evidence, researching issues, drafting documents, interviewing witnesses, and preparing exhibits.
• Defend clients in City Court through hearings, objections, evidence presentation, and trial or evidentiary proceedings.
• Lead paraprofessionals and staff on client representation requests.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Skills

Criminal litigation

Client interviews

Witness examination

Plea negotiations

Legal research

Trial prep

Education

Juris Doctorate

Arizona Bar admission

Job description

City of Tucson's Public Defender's Office seeks an Assistant Public Defender to defend indigent clients in City Court, handle pretrial functions, and advise on direct and collateral consequences of criminal prosecution.

The role requires court coverage, client interviews, evidence prep, motions, trials, and collaboration with supervisors and staff; bilingual English/Spanish preferred, Juris Doctorate and Arizona Bar in good standing required.