State of Maryland

An Assistant District Public Defender is one of two managerial levels of work in a district of the Office of the Public Defender.  Employees in this classification function as either 1) in a non-metropolitan district as deputy to a District Public Defender, with responsibility for directing the operation of a satellite office and supervising lower-level Assistant Public Defenders and Assistant Public Defender Supervisors or 2) in a metropolitan district managing district-wide case operations in the District, Circuit or Juvenile Courts and supervising a team of Assistant Public Defender Supervisors.

Employees in this classification receive managerial supervision from a District Public Defender or other higher-level Attorney.  Work may be performed at various locations including jails, lock-up facilities, hospitals and courtrooms.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Assistant District Public Defender is differentiated from the Assistant Public Defender Supervisor in that the Assistant District Public Defender supervises Assistant Public Defender Supervisors and functions as a deputy to the District Public Defender and as the head of a satellite district office in a non-metropolitan district or directs case operations on a metropolitan district-wide basis while the Assistant Public Defender Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Assistant Public Defenders.  The Assistant District Public Defender is differentiated from the District Public Defender and the District Public Defender Metropolitan in that these classifications are responsible for the entire operation of a district.

When assigned to a non-metropolitan district, directs the operations of one office in the district and serves as deputy to the District Public Defender;

When assigned to a metropolitan district, directs district-wide case operations in the District, Circuit and Juvenile Courts and supervises Assistant Public Defender Supervisors;

Meets with Assistant Public Defenders and panel Attorneys to discuss problems and improvements concerning client defense strategies, investigation methods or eligibility procedures;

Periodically reviews case documentation to ensure client defense strategy is proper and sound;

Develops, implements and interprets district procedures;

Represents clients of the Office of Public Defender in selected cases;

Monitors a budget and use of expenditures for legal services and fees and panel Attorney expenses;

Meets with judges regarding Attorneys, schedules, complaints, causes for delay or other case problems;

Performs other related duties.

Education:   A Juris Doctor degree or equivalent degree from an accredited school of law.

Experience: Experience as a practicing Attorney.

Notes:

1. Candidates shall be an Attorney and admitted to practice law in the State by the Court of Appeals of Maryland, at the time of appointment.

2. The above requirements are set by the Office of the Public Defender in accordance with Criminal Procedure Article, Section 16-203 of the Annotated Code of Maryland.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in general attorney classification or general attorney specialty codes in the legal and kindred group field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience and education. 

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required   Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.