State of Maryland

An Assistant Public Defender Supervisor is the supervisory level of trial attorney work at headquarters or in a district of the Office of the Public Defender.  Employees in this classification supervise lower-level Assistant Public Defenders engaged in providing eligible persons with legal counsel and services for criminal, juvenile, involuntary commitment and Children in Need of Assistance proceedings before the courts of the State.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from an Assistant District Public Defender or other higher-level Attorney.  Work is 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 methodology 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 Public Defender Supervisor is differentiated from the Assistant Public Defender III in that the Assistant Public Defender Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Assistant Public Defenders while the Assistant Public Defender III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  The Assistant Public Defender Supervisor is differentiated from the Assistant District Public Defender in that the Assistant District Public Defender 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.

Supervises lower-level Assistant Public Defenders;

Trains and directs lower-level Assistant Public Defenders in preparing cases and managing clients;

Reviews case files in order to determine the nature of the charges, and the factual and legal issues involved, and to plan defense strategies;

Represents Office of the Public Defender clients in all aspects of criminal, juvenile, involuntary commitment and Children in Need of Assistance proceedings before the courts of the State;

Engages in plea negotiations with Assistant State’s Attorneys and other opposing counsel and attends conferences with the court in an attempt to resolve issues before trial;

Counsels and advises clients regarding theories of possible defense, trial factors and procedures, rights, alternatives to incarceration, rehabilitation services, appeal rights and procedures and other matters of law;

May prepare and conduct seminars and formal training for other Attorneys;

May coordinate panel attorney services in cases where there is conflict of interest;

Performs other related duties.

Education:   A Juris Doctorate 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 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.