State Public Defender.

Qualifications, Skills, and Knowledge 

● Qualifications. 

○ The candidate must have been a licensed attorney for at least 5 years. ○ The candidate must demonstrate substantial experience working on behalf of disenfranchised people. 

○ The candidate must have been in a leadership role of a large agency, law firm, or business for at least 3 years. 

○ The candidate must have held a position with supervisory experience over lawyers or other professionals. 

○ The candidate must demonstrate substantial experience developing business or program strategies and goals. 

○ The candidate must have held a position that involved the development or monitoring of an organizational budget. 

○ The candidate shall not have had their license to practice law suspended or revoked in any jurisdiction on disciplinary grounds. 

● Skills 

○ The candidate should be able to articulate their vision that ensures the long term health of the State Public Defender. 

○ The candidate should have a demonstrated history of implementing programs, policies, or initiatives. 

○ The candidate should have a clear vision for political and community engagement and be able to describe specific examples of past engagement. 

○ The candidate should have demonstrated experience working in a team environment and be able to describe specific accomplishments of the team. ○ The candidate should have a demonstrated history of creating or supporting innovations in legal practice and be able to describe specific examples of their work. 

○ The candidate should have outstanding written and verbal communication skills. Writing samples may be requested. 

● Knowledge 

○ Background or training in criminal law, juvenile law, and trail and/or appellate law.

○ Background or training in access to justice for the indigent. 

○ Background or training in legal and professional ethics.

How To Apply 

To apply, submit a cover letter and resume to plotkina@opd.wi.gov. 

Your cover letter and resume are very important parts of your application and are used during our evaluation process to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job. If both of these documents are not submitted, you will not be eligible for consideration. 

The cover letter should address the qualifications as they relate to the position description, qualifications, skills, and knowledge, with a particular emphasis on: 

● Previous leadership experience 

● Development or monitoring of an organizational budget 

● Experience working with disenfranchised people 

● History of implementing program, policies, or initiatives 

● Experience with political management 

● Experience working in a team environment ● Vision to ensure long term health of the Wisconsin State Public Defender

Deadline to Apply 

If you have any questions on this recruitment or how to apply; please contact Adam Plotkin at plotkina@opd.wi.gov. 

The deadline to apply is 11:59 pm on Monday, February 5, 2024.