Attorney IV-VI Public Defender's Office - Mental Health Division

Overview

The Travis County Public Defender’s Office, Mental Health Division specializes in providing client centered, holistic defense representation and intensive social services support to people facing criminal prosecution while experiencing significant challenges and barriers related to mental illness, developmental and neurocognitive disabilities, and poverty. The attorney will represent clients charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses at all stages of defense, at the complex intersection of criminal and mental health law and procedure.

The position may be filled before the closing date and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Attorney IV:
This is the fourth in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases and matters that are moderately complex without supervision, may involve least severe consequences without supervision, and may involve moderately severe consequences with supervision.

Attorney V:
This is the fifth in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases and matters that are moderately complex and may involve moderately severe consequences with supervision.

Attorney VI:
This is the sixth in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases that are the most complex and may involve moderately severe consequences without supervision and most severe consequences with supervision.

Salary ranges (annual):
Attorney IV $91,099.48 - $;
Attorney V $ - $;
Attorney VI $ - $.

• Works as part of a multidisciplinary client team that provides client centered, holistic defense and intensive social services support to individuals facing criminal charges while experiencing challenges with serious mental illness, intellectual, developmental, and/or neurocognitive disorders.
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with clients, colleagues and community partners.
• Conducts thorough pretrial investigations.
• Performs legal research, analysis and application of legal principles.
• Prepares defenses, including pretrial motions practice, litigates motions and trials.
• Serves as lead counsel on cases of particular difficulty, sensitivity or requiring advanced knowledge and experience, mentors newer attorneys and interns.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Attorney IV: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school AND 4 years of licensed attorney work experience.
Attorney V: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school AND 6 years of licensed attorney work experience.
Attorney VI: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school AND 8 years of licensed attorney work experience.

Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas. May consider deferred start date for highly qualified candidates immediately eligible to waive into the Texas Bar using the Admission without Examination (AWOX) process or Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) transfer process (offer contingent on successful admission).

Please attach resume to application.

• Applications with a cover letter detailing interest in the position, including why you want to work for the Travis County Public Defender’s Office, are strongly preferred.
• Recent legal writing sample.
• Hearing and trial experience consistent with years of practice.
• Ability to fluently speak and write in Spanish.
• Mission-aligned experience (work or lived) advocating on behalf of people/communities directly impacted by the criminal/immigration/indigent/civil legal systems.

Knowledge of:

• Jurisprudence, criminal and civil law and procedures, including constitutional and statutory law.
• Applicable law at the intersection of mental health and disabilities and the criminal legal system.
• Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, rules, regulations and guidelines, including those requiring the confidential handling of certain protected health information.
• Enmeshed penalties and collateral consequences…