Public Defender
What We Offer
- Automobile Allowance - $575 per month.
- Executive Annual Leave - 248 hours earned per year, increasing to 288 hours after 5 years of service, to 328 hours after 10 years of service, and to 368 hours after 15 years of service. *Credit for prior public service may be considered (Sec. 616A).
- Annual Leave Redemption - The ability to "cash in" or redeem up to 100 hours of Annual Leave per year after using 80 hours of annual leave.
- Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.
- Health Plans - Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans for you and your dependents. You are afforded a flexible credit allowance of up to $11,622 annually.
- Flexible Spending Accounts - Employees may also participate in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase their spending power by reimbursing them with pre-tax dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses.
- Pension Plan - Both the County and you contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If you are eligible, you may establish reciprocity with other public retirement systems such as PERS.
- Holidays - 11 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.
Our County and Community
Ventura County is located on California's "Gold Coast," approximately 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 20 miles southeast of Santa Barbara. Residents enjoy rolling hills and sweeping ocean views in a nearly perfect Mediterranean climate with an average annual temperature of 74 degrees. The beauty and weather combined with a wonderful quality of life are among the many reasons our residents choose to call Ventura County "home."
Ventura County is a "general law" county, governed by a five-member, elected–by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, and to advise, assist and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board's jurisdiction.
Public Defender's Office
The Public Defender’s Office’s mission is to ensure equal justice for the indigent by providing exceptional legal representation. Members of the Public Defender's Office focus on serving their clients and community by providing an essential public service in a cost-effective manner, hiring and training a diverse, intelligent, and motivated workforce. They take a client-centered approach to their legal practice, insisting on justice for the most vulnerable members of our community.
The Ventura County Public Defender’s Office was created in 1968. The Office is made up of 113 full time employees including 61 attorneys and section chiefs, investigators, paralegals and support staff. They provide legal representation for over 20,000 cases annually with an annual operating budget of approximately $17.7 million.
The Position
Appointed by the County Executive Officer with the concurrence of the Board of Supervisors. Under administrative direction of the County Executive Officer plans, organizes and directs a program that provides legal counsel and representation to eligible persons as defined in Section 27706 of the Government Code, Section 987 of the Penal Code, Sections 1470 and 1471 of the Probate Code, Sections 317, 634 and 6500 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and other statutory provisions governing the Public Defender.
The position is responsible for the operation of the Public Defender’s Office and represents the County’s interests. The ideal candidate will be a politically astute leader and manager with 10 or more years of criminal defense trial experience and a work history that includes excellent scope and depth of administrative, organizational, management, supervisory, and budgeting experience. The successful candidate will also be highly-motivated and possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills and a passion for providing the highest quality of services.
The Public Defender is an at-will classification which is exempt from the provisions of the Civil Service Ordinance. The incumbent will receive Management benefits at the MBA 1 level and is exempt from overtime compensation.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Develops, coordinates and executes both governmental and office policies and procedures.
- Directs the preparation of the department budget.
- Makes frequent high-level personal contacts with a variety of officials, civic groups and the general public in connection with departmental activities.
- Coordinates with state and national providers of indigent legal services concerning matters of training, legislation, grants and funding.
- Directs, reviews, approves, and maintains the overall preparation of all legal records and reports.
- Plans, organizes and directs the provision of legal services to eligible persons involved in criminal cases, juvenile cases, conservatorships and proceedings for the mentally ill; decides on borderline cases where eligibility for legal aid is in doubt.
- Formulates and applies the policies related to the Public Defender program. Confers with senior staff members regarding policies, procedures, and activities of the departmental program; discusses the Public Defender program with criminal justice members and other persons/entities.
TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS
These are entrance requirements to the recruitment process and do not assure continuance in the process.
EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: Graduation from an accredited law school. At least ten (10) years of intensive trial experience combined with professional legal experience involving administrative and organizational responsibility.
- Excellence as a lawyer, with extensive experience in a leadership role in a large legal service organization such as a public defender’s office or a public interest advocacy organization.
- Effectively supervise subordinates including accurately assessing staffing levels, training needs, utilizing the strengths of subordinates, and taking appropriate corrective disciplinary action as necessary.
- Demonstrate leadership and integrity even when challenged with highly stressful or crisis situations.
- Communicate clearly and concisely in both written and verbal forms.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Must have and maintain active membership in the State Bar of California and possess and maintain a valid California driver license.
DESIRED
- Direct, high-quality criminal trial experience, is much preferred.
- Deep dedication to individualized justice for diverse populations and a clearly personal commitment to social justice as a broader cause.
- Advanced and demonstrated personal managerial and administrative ability, or the capacity to hire and effectively oversee senior management specialists who can diagnose management and fiscal problems and focus intensively on solutions.
- Use or build the technological and other capabilities necessary to address them with state-of-the art methods and tools and carry corrective actions through to successful conclusion.
NOTE: County Ordinance provides that County attorneys may not engage in the private practice of law.
Resume Evaluation
All relevant work experience, training and education need to be included to determine eligibility.
Interview Process
Following a structured evaluation of the resumes, the most qualified candidates will be invited to a panel interview. The top candidates, as determined by the panel, will then be invited to a second interview with County executive management. The interviews may be consolidated into one process or expanded into multiple interviews contingent upon the size and quantity of the candidate pool.
Background Investigation
The selected candidate may be subjected to a thorough background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record. In addition, the successful candidate may be subjected to Live Scan fingerprinting.