Assists a supervisor by performing professional legal work related to the representation of indigent clients and juveniles in cases where the local Public Defender has been appointed as counsel and provides training, guidance, and direction to staff assigned in local Public Defender offices; performs related work as required.

Responsibilities:

• 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.
• Prepares drafts of pleadings, motions, interrogations, supporting affidavits, letters, opinions, and briefs.
• Advocates the most complex cases 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.
• Negotiates plea bargains, dismissals, or other dispositions of assigned cases with prosecuting attorneys or other interested parties.
• Trains less-experienced Public Defenders in the principles of trial advocacy and pleading, trial and criminal procedures, the concept of legal precedence, and the rules of evidence as they apply to legal advocacy.

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1. Graduation from an accredited law school, possession of a current license to practice law in the State of Iowa, and experience equal to five years of full-time work in professional legal criminal trial advocacy or prosecution.
2. Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes three years of full-time work as a Public Defender 2.