Texas Rio Grande Public Defender (TRGPD) provides vertical, client-centered legal representation to persons who cannot afford counsel in juvenile, misdemeanor, and noncapital felony cases in Bee, Live Oak, McMullen, Goliad, and Refugio Counties, as well as defense in Operation Lone Star cases. TRGPD is a unionized organization committed to fostering a collaborative and equitable work environment for its staff.
The Executive Director will lead an office of approximately 65 attorneys and staff. The Executive Director will be a full-time employee of TRGPD and will carry a limited (0% to 5%) caseload. Outside legal work is prohibited. This is an opportunity to help build and enhance a holistic, client-centered public defender office, one of the leading defender programs in Texas.
Job Responsibilities
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) is the senior-most executive at TRGPD. The ED is TRGPD’s chief strategist and is responsible for innovating TRGPD’s work to build on its record as a leader in public defense.
The ED will lead and empower more than 60 employees, overseeing all aspects of the organization, collaborate closely with the professional staff and Board to ensure client-centered defense, manage the organization’s finances, increase its influence and impact, act as the primary liaison with external stakeholders, and strengthen the organization’s mission-driven culture.
The ED must be a visionary leader who sees the big picture while also knowing how all decisions affect the dedicated TRGPD staff and clients. The ED will continue to build out the talented team of attorneys, investigators, peer support specialists, mitigation specialists, and core staff. The ED must build trust with all internal and external stakeholders from interns to county and state officials. They must also have a deep understanding of organizational design that recognizes the intense nature of TRGPD’s impactful work and the importance of balancing growth, clients, and capacity. The ED will ensure that the organization provides quality criminal defense representation that complies with federal and state constitutions, state statutes, ethical rules, and state and national best practices. The ED will oversee and provide representation of defendants in juvenile, misdemeanor, and felony cases.
The ED ensures that all attorneys and staff are trained to comply with state and federal constitutions, state and federal laws, ethical rules, and best practices, including holistic, client-centered representation.
The ED supervises professional and support personnel.
The ED allocates resources for services, equipment, and facilities.
The ED leads financial planning and oversight, as well as advocating for additional funding and resources to ensure high-
quality representation.
The ED hires, evaluates, disciplines, and dismisses attorneys and staff.
The ED supervises planning, development, preparation, and monitoring of annual budget, grant funding, and statistical reports.
The ED directs staff on legal issues, case dispositions, and advocacy.
The ED represents the public defense function in criminal justice coordinating meetings with clients, judges, prosecutors, community partners, commissioners, and others.
The ED presents to social and civic groups, incarcerated persons, and other organizations to explain, publicize, and promote the public defender program and defendants’ rights.
The ED represents TRGPD in appropriate public and professional meetings and conferences; in interactions with state, county, and municipal officials; county and state bar associations; and community groups.
The ED must build and develop trusting, productive relationships with union leadership.
The ED ensures compliance with all legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements of a unionized nonprofit.
The ED reports regularly to the TRGPD Board and meets regularly with the Board Chair.
The duties above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed.
Compensation
The salary range for this position is $150,000 to$160,000. TRGPD offers all full-time employees a competitive benefits package.
TRGPD is committed to both clients and staff. Salary is commensurate with experience and includes an excellent benefits package, including law school loan repayment, paid leave, healthcare insurance, retirement plan, and training stipends. TRGPD staff regularly train with Gideon’s Promise, National Association for Public Defense, and Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.
Minimum Qualifications
- Juris Doctor
- Texas bar license or the ability to obtain Texas bar license within six months
Preferred Qualifications
Candidates for TRGPD Executive Director should possess leadership, litigation, public defense, supervision, management, and budgeting skills. Priority will be given to attorneys who meet or exceed the following:
- Has led an organization as chief, director, deputy, or supervisor for at least 5 years.
- Has litigated criminal cases for at least 7 years. Has tried at least 10 cases to verdict.
- Has worked as a lawyer in a public defender office for at least 5 years.
- Has supervised at least 5 attorneys and staff.
- Has managed daily operations for a legal organization for at least 4 years.
- Has helped create or oversee an organizational budget.
Skills
Leadership, supervision, management, budgeting, and organizational skills, including willingness and ability to effectively communicate needs and objectives with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to motivate, train, supervise, and develop attorneys and support staff.
Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups, including staff, clients, donors, community partners, and other stakeholders.
Advanced research, writing, and advocacy skills.
Advanced knowledge of the rules of evidence, case law, Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure.
Apply online at https://trgdefender.bamboohr.com/careers/36
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