Public Defender 3 (Remote Candidates)

Public Defender Position

At our Law Offices of the Public Defender in Alamogordo, NM, we understand the importance of flexibility in today's legal landscape. While we have a dedicated office in Alamogordo, we wholeheartedly welcome candidates who can telework and manage their cases effectively from a remote location.

Regular working hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM MST, Monday - Friday will be required.

Your primary focus will be on providing high-quality legal services, developing strategies, and advocating for clients in court. If you're ready to take the next challenge in your legal career, work with zealous colleagues, and represent clients who need your expertise in Alamogordo, we'd love you to apply for this position.

Pay Information

This position qualifies for an additional hourly pay differential of $1.30 hourly / $2,704.00 annually. Hourly pay differential reflect retention pay incentives, as applicable to the position advertised. Average hourly rates of pay for current employees in public defender 3 job classifications, from lowest to highest. Public Defender 3: Average pay ranges from $44.25/Hourly to $55.55/Hourly.

Join us at LOPD and discover a place where your work matters, your expertise is valued, and your next adventure awaits.

Essential Functions

Specific to this opening this position will be responsible for the following: felony probation violation adjudications, felony arraignments, conditions of release and evidentiary hearing arguments, hearings to determine whether there are conditions of release which can reasonably assure the safety of the community and individuals within the community (5-409 hearings), and occasional substantive motion writing for felony cases on a trial track (suppression motions). The right candidate should be an extremely passionate litigator and excellent communicator.

• Attorneys at this level should be able to represent clients in all misdemeanors or juvenile cases and low to medium level felonies with limited supervision.
• Provides guidance and mentoring to lower levels Attorneys and Law Clerks.
• Works under the direction and guidance provided by higher level Attorneys and/or Managing Attorney.
• Will conduct plea bargaining when appropriate with District Attorneys and other parties to establish agreements to resolve cases.
• Will attend seminars, training classes and review current professional literature to maintain and develop professional skills and knowledge.
• Drafts/reviews, proposes and prepares reports and legal documents.
• Meet with clients, file and argue motions, investigate cases, interview witnesses, proceed to trial and file any necessary appeals.
• Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge derived from investigation and case law to determine whether a client should enter into a plea or go to trial.
• The Appellate Division attorneys of this level interview clients and trial counsel, reviews the record and researches to support arguments that errors have been made by the lower courts.
• Performs related and other duties as assigned.

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Note: An Employee with this classification may be required to perform at a PD3 level or duties of a lower classification without additional compensation. Employee will be required to show competence in all levels PD2 through PD3.

Minimum Qualifications

Current licensure as an attorney issued by the New Mexico Supreme Court or eligible for limited license issued by New Mexico Supreme Court and one (1) year of experience as a practicing attorney.

Employment Requirements

Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license. Employment eligibility to work with the Law Offices of the Public Defender (LOPD) in the U.S. is required. We are not able to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa. Collective Bargaining: This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement and all terms/conditions of that agreement apply and must be adhered to. Default FLSA: Exempt: (including Managers/Supervisors, Executive, Administrative, Professional Exempt Status) In accordance with DOL FLSA and LOPD NMAC and LOPD's Compensation Agreement that is signed upon hire during onboarding, classifications identified as Exempt may be compensated for all authorized hours worked over 80 hours in a pay period. These classifications are eligible for compensatory time (paid time off accrued) at an even (1:1) rate if they request to work extra hours in advance and get approval from their supervisor. These classifications are not eligible for cash payments for extra hours worked. Compensatory time may be paid-out upon leaving the department depending on budget availability.

The Law Offices of the Public Defender is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, spousal affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, political affiliation or religion, mental or physical disability, or serious medical condition. This job advertisement may be used to fill multiple vacancies. Preference may be given to multilingual applicants fluent in English and other languages.

Benefits

The State's General Services Department Risk Management Division, Employee Benefits Bureau (EBB), is responsible for the procurement and oversight of employee benefits - including Medical, Pharmacy, Dental, Vision, Short & Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance. The State's Group Benefits Plan also offers COBRA, Flexible Spending Account Programs, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Erisa Administrative Services, Inc. (Erisa) is the State's Third Party Administrator. They provide benefits administration to all plan participants, and offer knowledgeable staff to answer your questions. To learn more about the benefits available please click here. In addition to the benefits listed above, the Law Offices of The Public Defender offers a retirement plan and a medical program for retirees. For more information regarding the plan you can visit the following websites: Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico Website New Mexico Retiree Health Care Authority.

Total Compensation Package As an employee of the Law Offices of the Public Defender (LOPD), you receive regular pay for your services. The other part of your total compensation is the value of the benefits LOPD makes available to you and, if applicable, your family. The Total Compensation Estimator is for illustrative purposes only and provides benefits-eligible employees an estimate of their total compensation based on selected options from the drop-downs in the estimator. This estimator is not a legal document. All benefits are governed by the actual benefit plans, which have precedence over the information reported in this calculator. Rates are not guaranteed and may change annually based on legislative decisions. If you have any questions about this estimator, don't hesitate to get in touch with Human Resources at

State and Federal Laws - Rights of Employees Employers are required by state and federal law to post certain information concerning the rights of employees. The required posters are listed below and may be printed individually using a standard printer and paper.

• Human Rights Act Poster (Download PDF reader) - PDF file
• New Mexico Job Health and Safety Protection (State OSHA) (Download PDF reader)
• New Mexico Workers' Compensation Act and supply of Notice of Accident (NOA) Forms (Download PDF reader)
• Human Trafficking - ( English (Download PDF reader) ) ( Español (Download PDF reader) ) ( Navajo (Download PDF reader) )
• Paid Sick Leave - ( English (Download PDF reader) ) ( Español ) ( Vietnamese (Download PDF reader) ) ( Diné Navajo (Download PDF reader) ) - PDF
• The Whistleblower Protection Act (Download PDF reader)
• Immigrant and Employee Rights Section Right to Work - ( English/Español (Download PDF reader) )

New Mexico state minimum wage is $12.00 per hour effective January 1, 2023. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. More information can be read at Minimum Wages Information.

• Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law - (English (Download PDF reader) ), (Español) (Download PDF reader)
• Job Safety and Health Protection - ( English) (Download PDF reader), (Español) (Download PDF reader)
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act - (English) (Download PDF reader), (Español) (Download PDF reader)
• Family Medical Leave Act - (English) (Download PDF reader), (Español) (Download PDF reader)
• Pregnant Workers Fairness Act - (English) (Download PDF reader), (Espanol)
• Employee Rights under USERRA - (English) (Download PDF reader), (Español) (Download PDF reader