Public Defender Services of Lane County, Inc., is hiring a Supervising Attorney to supervise a team of 4 to 6 attorneys. The Supervising Attorney’s time will be split roughly equally between supervision and their own caseload. Supervising Attorneys report to the Executive Director.
Job Responsibilities
The Supervising Attorney will oversee a team of attorneys and provide support and mentorship to ensure the delivery of excellent representation. This position supervises attorneys of various experience levels, ensuring the team upholds the mission of the organization and compliance with ethical and professional standards. The Supervising Attorney plays a key role in shaping the professional development of their team, offering strategic direction, supporting longevity in team members’ roles, and fostering a productive work environment.
Supervision and Management:
- Supervise a team of 4-6 staff attorneys. Supervision requires regular team and 1:1 meetings and a general awareness of attorney workloads.
- Provide mentorship, training, and development opportunities to ensure professional growth of the attorneys on the team. Supervising attorneys are expected to follow the practice standards and guidelines for advancing the attorneys they supervise in tiers.
- Co-Counsel trials with new attorneys and for the purpose of promoting attorneys to higher tiers.
Assist in managing attorney workload and developing strategies to prevent burnout. - Conduct regular case reviews with attorneys to monitor progress. Conduct annual reviews for each attorney. Recommend and assist in developing and implementing performance improvement plans if needed.
Caseload:
- Supervising attorneys will continue to carry a caseload at their tier level. Supervising attorneys have a reduced caseload to accommodate the time for supervision and management.
Other:
- Supervising attorneys will attend weekly meetings with other supervisors to discuss issues related to supervision and representation, and collaborate with the Executive Director and other supervisors to implement policies and best practices.
- Supervising attorneys are responsible for assigning cases on a rotating basis.
- Assist in recruitment, hiring and onboarding of new attorneys.
- Serve as a resource for complex issues and ethics questions within the office, offering advice to attorneys as needed.
Qualifications:
Minimum of 6 years post-law school experience. Must be qualified to handle major felony cases; murder qualified preferred. Demonstrated commitment to client-centered, zealous advocacy. Strong annual performance reviews. Proven experience in trial advocacy, motions practice, case management, and client skills. Strong leadership skills, with the ability to mentor and inspire attorneys. Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism.
Applicants must be members of the Oregon State Bar in good standing, or eligible to apply for membership. PDSLC is committed to advancing equity and diversity in our workplace, in our hiring, and in the way we represent our clients. We are an equal opportunity employer, and encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented groups to apply. As an employer, we believe in providing an excellent benefits package, including health, vision, dental, and life insurance; long term disability insurance; paid vacation, sick, and personal time; and retirement. We’re also a dog-friendly office. Base pay ranges: Major felony qualified: $100,621 to $116,481. Murder qualified: $122,305 to $145,663 annually. Supervising Attorneys are provided an additional adjustment to their base salary. To apply, please contact Executive Director Caitlin Plummer at attorneypersonnel@lanepds.org. Include a resume and cover letter. You can include references if you want, but we won’t contact references without your permission. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. The closing date for this posting is Friday, November 8.
About Public Defender Services of Lane County
Public Defender Services of Lane County is a private non-profit organization committed to defending the rights of people who are facing a loss of their personal liberty due to the actions of the state. We represent adults and juveniles charged with everything from trespass to murder. We fight for the rights of people who are accused of violating their probation, and for those who are facing jail because they are behind on their child support payments. We fight for the rights of parents and children when the State becomes involved in termination proceedings, and we fight for the rights of those afflicted with mental illness when the state tries to hold them in the state hospital against their will.
The office has a rich history of defense advocacy, and has been a non-profit public defender since 1977. Our office qualifies for public interest loan forgiveness. We strive to put our clients first, and zealously pursue our client’s best interest regardless if they’re facing a single charge of criminal trespass or a dozen allegations of violent felonies.
Our Mission Statement: We treat our clients with dignity, empower them to make informed choices and fight to defend their rights.
Our goals (how we fulfill our Mission):
1. We deliver outstanding legal services.
2. We uphold the presumption of innocence without regard to the accusations against our clients.
3. We deal ethically with our clients, witnesses, the courts, and all other representatives of the criminal justice system.
4. We strive to lead by example in the criminal justice community.
5. We provide a supportive environment where employees and clients are treated with respect and dignity, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, economic and cultural background, religion, age or disability.