Assigned Counsel Coordinator King County Department of Public Defense

Assigned Counsel Coordinator

The Assigned Counsel Coordinator assists the director in managing a panel of skilled and committed attorneys to provide legal representation when the Department's four divisions cannot because of a conflict. The Department assigns attorneys to represent clients facing felonies, misdemeanors, involuntary civil commitment, juvenile offenses, and dependency petitions. The Assigned Counsel Coordinator will recruit attorneys to serve on the panel, oversee the panel, and work with the Training Team to ensure attorneys on the panel are welltrained and client-centered in their practice. The ideal candidate will have a passion for effective legal representation, a well-developed understanding of what it takes to be an excellent attorney in each of DPD's practice areas, knowledge of national trends in public defense, and strong managerial skills. The ideal candidate will have experience in public defense and/or criminal defense as well as experience in the private bar.

This is a two-year temporary position.

Salary range: $109,454 - $138,740

Job Responsibilities

• Recruit attorneys to serve on the Department's panel of assigned counsel, review applicants to the panel, and provide ongoing management and quality control, within the confines of the RPC's rules regarding confidentiality and conflicts, to ensure DPD clients are receiving effective legal representation.

• Work with the Department's Training Team to ensure members of the panel are receiving ongoing and appropriate legal education.

• Monitor and manage the budget for assigned counsel, ensuring efficient use of the Department's funds.

• Manage an ongoing RFQ for assigned counsel.

• Create, oversee, and update, as needed, policies governing assigned counsel.

• Work with the Department's case coordinators to ensure cases are being assigned to appropriate outside counsel.

• Other duties as assigned.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

The successful candidates for this position should possess the following qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school and a minimum of five years of experience providing high level project management and/or program coordination in a legal setting OR an equivalent combination of education and experience that clearly demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the job.

• Supervisory and/or lead experience (which can include work with mitigation specialists, paralegals or investigators on cases).

• Excellent organizational skills.

• Excellent communication skills.

• Ability to maintain appropriate level of confidentiality relative to the job.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with diverse personalities, be collaborative and foster a continuous learning environment.

• Proficiency in or willingness to develop proficiency in computer skills (including but not limited to SharePoint and Excel).

• A valid Washington State Driver's License or the equivalent ability to travel throughout the county in a timely manner is required.

Desired: Previous public defense experience.

About the Department of Public Defense

The Department of Public Defense (DPD) is committed to providing legal representation to indigent clients in King County. King County is a vibrant community with residents who represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures.

DPD provides legal representation to adults and juveniles who have been charged with a crime and cannot afford an attorney, as well as people facing civil commitment, parents who could lose their children in a dependency petition, and people seeking to vacate a past felony or misdemeanor conviction. DPD works to address racial disproportionality in the criminal legal system, the collateral consequences of justice involvement, and other structural and systemic issues that undermine the rights of the criminally accused. It employs not only attorneys, but also skilled investigators, mitigation specialists, paralegals, and other support staff.

Expert services are regularly funded, in keeping with state court rules. King County public defense has also been a leader in the development of diversion alternatives to support clients who have entered or are at risk of entering the legal justice system due to drug involvement, mental illness, or other issues.

Supplemental Information Work Location and Schedule:

These positions are located at 710 Second Avenue, Suite 200, Seattle, WA. The positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and are not overtime eligible. The work week is normally 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Selection Process: Materials will be reviewed for qualifications, and the most competitive candidates will be invited to participate in a selection process that may be inclusive of the following: a detailed reference and background check, ethics questionnaire, phone screen, and one or more panel interviews. (For out-of-state candidates at least one in-person interview will be required.) Final selection and appointment to these position are at the discretion of the Department Director.

TO APPLY PLEASE VISIT KING COUNTY’S CAREERS WEBSITE