Are you ready to make a meaningful impact through public service? The Iowa State Public Defender’s Office is seeking a highly motivated, skilled, and enthusiastic attorney to serve as an Appellate Defender 2 in our Appellate Defender office located in Des Moines, Iowa.
Who We Are The mission of the Office of the State Public Defender is to ensure that all indigent persons in Iowa are provided high quality legal representation in criminal, juvenile, and other eligible proceedings in the most efficient and fiscally responsible manner.
What You’ll Do As a Public Defender attorney in this position, you will:
• Perform professional legal work representing indigent clients on appeal in cases where the State Appellate Defender’s Office has been appointed as counsel. • Conduct thorough review of the client trial court records and perform extensive legal research to prepare the appeal in assigned cases to determine the merits of the cases and appropriate courses of action. • Draft appellate briefs, appendices, motions for further review, and other motions or documents in support of an appeal. • Present oral arguments in assigned cases before the Iowa Court of Appeals, the Iowa Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court. • Advise and communicate with clients at all stages of the appeal and respond to clients in a timely manner. • Other duties as assigned to further support public defender offices may also be required.
What We Offer
When you join the SPD, you become a part of a strong team culture that is committed to serving the community. In addition to providing a respect for work-life balance, we have a competitive total compensation package for all of our full-time employees, including:
• Annual pay ranging from $74,318.40 to $114,420.80, depending on experience. • Robust benefits, including excellent health, dental, life and vision insurance. • Generous paid time off, including vacation, paid holidays, and sick leave accrual. • On the job training by dedicated, experienced professionals. • Opportunities for professional development. • Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care. • Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) Retirement Package. • Retirement Investors Club (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan). • Employee Assistance Program for support when you need it most. • Employee Discount Programs from a variety of vendors (vision, cellular, fitness, and more) • Access to an on-site employee fitness center (6200 Park Avenue location only).
For additional information on benefits click here.
Embark on a rewarding career dedicated to public service and make a difference with us!
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Graduation from an accredited school of law and experience equal to two years of full time professional criminal trial or appellate advocacy; OR
Employees with current continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes the equivalent of 18 months of full-time work as a Public Defender 1 or Appellate Defender.
Additional Qualification Requirements
Additional Qualification Requirements Candidates are strongly encouraged to upload a writing sample as part of their application. Admission to the Iowa State Bar at the time of appointment. Admission to the United States. Supreme Court may be required.
The Office of the State Public Defender is responsible for coordinating Iowa's Indigent Defense System. Our mission is to ensure that all indigent persons in Iowa are provided high quality legal representation in criminal, juvenile, and other eligible proceedings in the most efficient and fiscally responsible manner.
The office is led by the State Public Defender, who is appointed by the Governor. More than two hundred employees in eighteen Local Public Defender Offices and the Appellate Defender's Office provide representation for indigent persons primarily in criminal and juvenile cases at the trial and appellate levels in all of Iowa's 99 counties. The State Public Defender also contracts with more than one thousand private attorneys and several nonprofit organizations throughout Iowa to provide court-appointed representation in cases that public defender offices are unable to handle. These contract attorneys, as well as other indigent defense providers, such as investigators, court reporters, interpreters, and expert witnesses, are paid from the Indigent Defense Fund, which is administered by the State Public Defender.