Assistant Public Defender - Death Penalty

Agency Overview
The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

Our Mission: Advocating. Fighting. Helping.
Our Vision: A Fair Justice System.
Our Values: Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Our commitment to inclusion is inseparable from our commitment to a fair justice system. We strive to ensure inclusive spaces and services for our staff, our clients, and Ohio’s diverse communities. We are committed to building a work environment where all our team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public. We can best meet our public defense mission through a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace, where employees thrive, our mission is accomplished, and Ohioans are served. #TeamOPD is grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion as we work together to pursue fairness and justice for all people.

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Job Description
You will represent indigent death-sentenced clients in all stages of post-trial litigation and executive clemency. Post-trial litigation may include direct appeal, post-conviction, and federal habeas corpus litigation. You will join the Death Penalty Department, which emphasizes a client-centered, team approach to representation; you will most often be working with a team of attorneys, mitigation specialists, fact investigators, and core administrative staff.

To be successful in the position, you will:

Have a strong commitment to indigent defense, and have the capacity and compassion to work with clients facing the ultimate penalty;
Possess strong analytical and reasoning skills and be an effective and persuasive communicator – both written and verbal;
Be able to work collaboratively as a member of a defense team, including accepting and providing constructive feedback;
Continually engage in professional development, focusing on advancements in the law, forensics, psychology, and other related fields;
Be able to think creatively to identify, develop, and litigate (with appropriate supervision and support) issues and theories during each stage of the proceedings, often with an emphasis on changing the narrative from the case presented at trial; and
Maintain appropriate respect and professionalism with our clients, their families and supporters, victims and their families, witnesses, former jurors, attorneys, judges and courtroom staff, and others we encounter as we advocate for our clients.
The position does require in-office time; work-from-home opportunities will also be available, as approved.

Essential duties of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

Reviewing the capital trial record to identify potential errors and avenues for additional investigation;
Investigating the facts of the underlying offense(s), the circumstances of the criminal trial and sentencing proceedings, the client’s personal and family history, and other relevant factors that have impacted the client’s development. This often includes investigating the impact of systemic racism, mass incarceration, childhood trauma, poverty, mental and physical illnesses, and other cultural and sociological experiences;
Identifying and collaborating with experts in relevant fields, including capital defense (jury selection, trial practice, mitigation investigation, etc.), forensics, mental health, trauma, and other specialized areas of expertise as needed to fully investigate, prepare, and present the client’s case;
Researching, briefing and arguing cases on direct appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court;
Preparing and litigating post-conviction petitions, including discovery requests, evidentiary hearings, and appellate briefing and arguments;
Preparing and litigating habeas petitions, including discovery requests, evidentiary hearings, and appellate briefing and arguments; and
Advocating for executive clemency, including developing a compelling narrative case, working with supporters from various organizations, engaging in effective, strategic communication, and supporting the client throughout the difficult and complex process.
**In your application, please attach a cover letter explaining your interest in capital defense work and a writing sample. Applications without a cover letter and writing sample will not be reviewed.**

Starting pay for this position will be at Step 1 unless required by contract/legislation; Candidates with exceptional qualifications may be considered for higher starting pay. Our steps give a standard path for earnings growth: you move to the next step after 6 months and annually thereafter. We typically have fiscal year Cost of Living Adjustments as well.

FY25 Wages Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8
Hourly $34.14 $36.00 $37.97 $40.02 $42.02 $44.55 $46.38 $48.56
Annual $71,011 $74,880 $78,978 $83,242 $87,922 $92,664 $96,470 $101,005
The Office of the Ohio Public Defender complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the OPD HCM Department at 614-466-5394 or [email protected].