Definition
Supervises one or more large Public Defender trial or appellate office(s) in the provision of professional legal services representing indigent clients and juveniles in cases where the Local Public Defender or State Appellate Defender has been appointed as counsel; and provides training, guidance, and direction to staff assigned in a Local Public Defender office; performs related work as required.
Work Examples
Supervises and evaluates the work of subordinates; recommends personnel actions related to selection, disciplinary procedures, performance, leaves, grievances, work schedules, and assignments; administers personnel policies and procedures.
Participates in the investigation and preparation of a defense for complex adult and juvenile offender cases to obtain facts in determining the merits of cases and appropriate courses of action, or transcript review and preparation of appeals in complex cases to determine the merits of cases and appropriate courses of action.
Prepares drafts of pleadings, motions, interrogations, supporting affidavits, letters, opinions, and briefs, or any other documents required to prepare a case for trial or on appeal.
Advocates the most complex cases, of such scope they demand the extensive experience not found at lower levels of the Public Defender series, at every stage of the criminal justice system through resolution in the pre-trial process, plea bargaining process, trial, verdict and sentencing by: providing legal counsel and advice; interviewing and selecting appropriate witnesses, preparing them to give testimony; and conducting direct and cross examination of witnesses, or at every appellate stage including the United States Supreme Court.
Negotiates plea bargains, dismissals, or other disposition of assigned cases with prosecuting attorneys or other interested parties.
Trains less experienced Public Defenders in the principles of trial or appellate advocacy and pleading, appellate, trial and criminal procedures, the concept of legal precedence, and the rules of evidence and preservation of error as they apply to legal advocacy.
Serves as the First Assistant State Public Defender, making decisions in the absence of the State Public Defender or as delegated by the State Public Defender, represents the State Public Defender before the legislature, other agencies, and to outside organization, serve as a resource and source of guidance for other Public Defender Supervisors and other staff.
Competencies Required
Administration and Management – Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service – Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language – Structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Law and Government – Laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Category Flexibility – Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning – Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Flexibility of Closure – Identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Inductive Reasoning – Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering – Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Oral Comprehension – Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression – Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity – Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Selective Attention – Concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity – Speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition – Identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension – Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression – Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Active Learning – Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination – Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Instructing – Teaching others how to do something.
Judgment and Decision Making – Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Learning Strategies – Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Management of Personnel Resources – Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Monitoring – Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Negotiation – Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion – Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Programming – Writing computer programs for various purposes.
Reading Comprehension – Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness – Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking – Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management – Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing – Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Seven years of full-time work experience in professional legal criminal trial or appellate advocacy or prosecution and a current license to practice law in the State of Iowa.