You will serve as an Assistant Public Defender (APD) in the Prison Legal Services (“PLS”) Section of our Legal Department. Advocacy is at the core of a PLS attorney’s job: attorneys in the group represent incarcerated people before the Ohio Parole Board and people who are facing reimprisonment in parole and post-release control revocation hearings. PLS attorneys are flexible: they vigorously defend clients in revocation hearings and make compelling cases for release when before the Ohio Parole Board. PLS attorneys also provide legal orientations to all individuals sentenced to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and answer questions pertaining to criminal sentences, jail-time credit, release mechanisms, and other common inquiries.
The position is currently headquartered in Columbus, Ohio with anticipated significant time spent at the Correction Reception Center (“CRC”) in Orient, Ohio and/or the Ohio Reformatory for Women (“ORW”) in Marysville, Ohio*. You will focus on representation of clients in parole and post-release control hearings. You will also present a legal orientation to newly incarcerated individuals and answer questions – orally and in writing – pertaining to criminal sentences, jail time credit, judicial and other release mechanisms. *Please note: Although the OPD currently does not hold any in-person office hours at CRC or ORW, this APD position has historically been headquartered at CRC or ORW.
You will work closely with five fellow PLS attorneys, two supervising attorneys, and an administrative professional, and will collaborate with colleagues on client advocacy across the Legal Department. A successful candidate will have strong advocacy skills and a client-centered ethos. The position currently offers you the opportunity to work from home for a portion of time, so a successful candidate will be self-motivated and comfortable communicating via Teams or other conferencing software during those times.
Your essential duties will include but are not limited to:
Represent indigent individuals at parole and post-release control violation hearings around the State of Ohio. This requires adequate preparation and investigation to engage in an adversarial administrative hearing process.
Represent indigent individuals in hearings before the Ohio Parole Board. This requires preparation involving close contacts with client’s family and community-support systems. It also requires written and oral advocacy.
Provide legal services to incarcerated individuals at the Correction Reception Center in Orient, Ohio, and at various Ohio Prisons throughout the state.
Conduct legal research, prepares motions and other pleadings, reviews drafts of pleadings, briefs, motions, and memoranda.
Collaborate with other attorneys in the Legal Department on strategic litigation and advocacy.
Work with Legal Department Manager and PLS Supervisors regarding administrative tasks related to operation of the prison legal services section.
Admission to Ohio bar pursuant to section 4705.01.
Note: Prior to representing a client in federal court or U.S. Supreme court, attorney shall obtain admission to practice law in that court; prior to appointment as appellate counsel for an indigent defendant in a capital case pursuant to Appt.Coun.R. 5.02 & 5.03, an attorney shall obtain certification from the Commission on Appointment of Counsel in Capital Cases.
Note: Eligibility to practice under a Certificate to Practice Law Pending Admission in Ohio, under Rule I, Section 19 of the Supreme Court Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio, or eligibility to practice under a Temporary Certification for Practice in Legal services, Public Defender, and Law School Programs under Rule IX of the Supreme Court Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio, may be accepted in lieu of admission to the Ohio Bar pursuant to R.C. Section 4705.02.
We accept applications through careers.ohio.gov. Direct web link to apply: https://dasstateoh.taleo.net/careersection/oh_ext/jobdetail.ftl?job=2200...
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