Address
Form of workThis recruitment is open to current career service Public Defense Attorney - Supervisors in the Associated Counsel for the Accused Division of the Department of Public Defense.
About the Position
The King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) provides high quality legal representation to indigent clients in felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile defense, family defense (dependency cases), involuntary commitment (mental illness), sex offender commitment, and inquests.
As an organization we work with the community:
- To dismantle the systems that oppress our client.
- To make the traditional systems that remain as restorative as possible.
- To advocate for pathways that will allow our clients to succeed.
DPD is committed to the development and career progression of our dedicated Supervising Attorney staff. In partnership with Teamsters Local 117, DPD has initiated a project entitled the Managing Attorney Preparation Program (MAPP), which aims to develop current staff for senior leadership roles, while helping DPD to deepen its bench of qualified and competent senior leaders. This assignment is anticipated to be up to two years in length.
DPD will utilize supervisor levels to recruit, recognize, and retain talented, accomplished supervisors who are interested in upward career progression within the department and seek to strengthen their leadership skillset and experiences.MAPP participants are expected to fulfill all associated standard supervisor duties, in addition, as a part of the program participants will be asked to actively participate in and complete learning and development assignments and various on-the-job training tasks, including but not limited to:
- Be the incumbent back-up to fill in for temporary vacancies as Managing Attorney.
- Assist the Managing Attorney with tasks such as:
- verifying that all staff are evaluated on an annual basis.
- drafting and disseminating division communications.
- consulting on policy and personnel matters.
- supporting the Managing Attorney with planning and implementing employee engagement strategies.
- Serve as mentor to supervisors.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Supervise attorneys, professional, legal and support staff.
- Develop, evaluate, train, mentor, and coach subordinate employees. Ensure work conforms with prevailing professional standards and applicable statues and county policies.
- In consultation and coordination with Managing Attorney and Human Resource staff, conduct disciplinary investigations and impose discipline when appropriate.
- Provide mentorship to attorneys and others within the unit.
- Assign and balance workload among attorneys within unit.
- Ensure unit employees are up to date on DPD policies and developments, relevant legislative proposals or enactments and administrative and case law changes that bear on the practice area.
- Conduct performance evaluations of unit employees, implement, and monitor corrective compliance and career development action plans and provide support to enable employees to make positive changes.
- Act as a catalyst for problem-solving and conflict resolution within the unit
- Possibly carry a partial caseload, requiring excellent legal representation and trial skills, excellent rapport with clients, strong legal research, strong negotiation skills and all the other skills that go with being a caseload-carrying attorney.
- Maintain and update, as needed, a computerized case-management system to track caseloads and individual assignments.
- Identify cases that present an ethical conflict of interest for the Division.
- Work with Director's office to ensure unit employees have the training and resources they need to do their jobs well.
- Actively support and promote DPD's mission and all policies and practices, including internal and external activities that strengthen public defense in King County.
- Be the backup for on call attorneys.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Self-Development
- Valuing Differences
- Collaboration
- Managerial Courage
- Driving Engagement
- Instilling Trust
- Driving Results
Member of the Washington State Bar Association in good standing.ARE YOU READY TO APPLY?
This recruitment is internal only and open to current career service Public Defense Attorney - Supervisors in the Associated Counsel for the Accused (ACA) Division of DPD. Please apply at www.kingcounty.gov/careers.
Per International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 117 - Department of Public Defense - Supervisors and Managers MOA "Managing Attorney Preparation Program (MAPP) Pilot Project," the MAPP participant for each division shall be selected from the Supervisors' ranks in his or her respective division. The work location and practice area of the position can be rotated based on business need.
To be considered for this role submit the following items:
- Completed King County application.
- A letter of interest detailing the following items below
- How this program supports your career goals.
- What you've done to prepare for leadership roles to date.
- Why you are interested in the role of Managing Attorney.
Pay Upon Special Duty Placement
Current employees selected for Special Duty will be compensated based upon the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement or Coalition Labor Agreement for their base assignment.
If you have questions, please contact:
Falisha Forgash, Senior Human Resource Analyst
fforgash@kingcounty.gov
206-263-2041
Work Location and Schedule
This position will be located at various ACA Division offices in Seattle and Kent. The positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and not overtime eligible. The workweek is normally 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
DPD Policies
DPD Ethical Walls Policies and Procedures will apply to applicants, such that if you work or have worked for one of DPD's divisions, you may be ineligible to work in another division.
Confidentiality Agreement will apply to applicants, such that all client and case information learned from any source must be kept strictly confidential and information gained in the course of representing a client outside of the division cannot be shared. Refer to the Washington Rule of Professional Conduct "RPC" Section 1.6 and RCW 5.60.060.
Outside Work Policy for Attorneys will apply to applicants, such that you must receive approval from your supervisor and Managing Attorney before being permitted to engage in outside employment for compensation or volunteer.
Union Membership
Positions in this classification are recognized by Teamsters Local 117.
Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.
Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, this salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position. King County offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, life and disability insurance for employees and dependents; retirement and deferred compensation. For additional information, please review the detailed summary of benefits offered by King County.Employment Type: Special Duty Assignment
