The Office of the Ohio Public Defender is seeking an attorney to serve as an Assistant Public Defender in the Legal Assistance Program Section of the Youth Defense Department.
The Youth Defense Department is a team of talented professionals who provide direct representation and services for children in Ohio’s juvenile and criminal legal systems, including representation at trial, post-disposition, and release and reentry support. We utilize a holistic approach to assisting youth in the legal system and provide advocacy that extends before, during, and beyond the child’s duration of confinement.
As a Legal Assistance Program attorney, you will provide assistance to children in Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) on matters arising out of their confinement, which includes responding to requests for assistance, reviewing fact investigations, assisting youth with exhaustion of administrative grievance processes, and determining whether the child’s claim has merit, and referring the child to a private attorney for direct representation of their claim. If no private attorney accepts the case within a reasonable time, you will prepare pro se pleadings, including a complaint, a motion for appointment of counsel, and other applicable pleadings. You will also advocate for children during discipline and release reviews to the ODYS Release Authority, which impacts the child’s length of stay and release date. You will be most successful in the position if you are organized, solutions oriented, adept at effective documentation and communication, and empathetic. Frequent travel to juvenile correctional facilities is required.
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
Provide legal assistance to incarcerated youth residing in Ohio Department of Youth Services (“DYS”) facilities and DYS contract facilities
Travel to DYS and contract facilities to meet with youth in-person
Provide legal orientation to youth upon their admission to DYS
Interview youth on questions pertaining to matters arising out of their confinement (e.g., medical deliberate indifference, excessive use of force, failure to protect, etc.)
Advocate for youth on administrative issues that could result in the extension of the youth’s period of confinement
Regularly provide DYS youth with legal information and advice on release and reentry information
Work with DYS administrators and OPD staff on providing reentry services to youth
Investigate youth claims pertaining to conditions of confinement issues, including but not limited to the following: ensuring that youth follow DYS grievance processes and procedures and exhaust administrative remedies; submitting records requests to DYS following a youth’s request for assistance; reviewing facility documentation of a youth’s claim as well as any video footage, if available; and, under the supervision of higher level assistant public defenders, determining the merits of a youth’s claim by analyzing relevant case law
Provide youth with age-appropriate written explanations of the results of any investigation
Under the supervision of unit Supervisor or the Youth Defense Department Managing Counsel, refer apparent meritorious claims to private counsel. If referrals cannot be accomplished within a reasonable time, prepare pro se pleadings and motions for appointment of counsel, completes affidavit of indigence and motions for appointment of guardian ad litem when necessary, to enable a youth to file pro se
Collect data and compile information for monthly reports
Organize paperwork and request forms
Maintain intra-agency intake calendar
Collaborate with other attorneys in the department
Refer matters to outside agencies when appropriate
Answer inquiries from indigent youth pertaining to general issues of juvenile law
Conduct intake for the department’s post-disposition and trial staff
Appear in public and private settings to discuss law and policy
Train youth defenders on issues pertaining to post-dispositional and administration assistance/representation, appearing as counsel or co-counsel to represent youth on matters including judicial release, sealing and expungement, serious youthful offender invocation hearings, new charges, and other matters related to the youth’s confinement