Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

Salary: $75,000+ plus add'l border incentive

$95000 - $140000 / yr + plus eligible for moving expenses and other incentives

Texas RioGrande Public Defender (TRGPD) seeks attorneys with a demonstrated commitment to rural, indigent defense and exceptional advocacy skills to serve in rural southwest Texas. TRGPD intends to increase its presence along the Texas-Mexico border by providing defense to those charged with a crime in Maverick, Dimmit, and Zavala Counties due to Operation Lone Star (OLS). OLS is a state initiative that attempts to militarize the border, criminalize those seeking asylum, and create a separate and unequal criminal justice system targeting migrants and refugees.

TRGPD contracts with many rural Texas counties to provide public defenders in cooperation with the Texas Indigent Defense Commission.TRGPDs Defenders are frontline advocates who have engaged in the movement to transform the criminal justice system and challenge the injustices faced by indigent defendants in rural south Texas for decades.OLS has brought on a whole new set of challenges and injustices, and TRGPD needs those interested in stepping up.TRGPD expects its public defenders to provide complete, vertical representation from intake to resolution, initial arrest to final appeal.

TRGPD delivers client-centered legal services to address the unique needs and limited resources available to clients residing in rural and border communities. Special initiatives within TRGPD include advice on the immigration consequences of a criminal conviction, trauma-informed and mental health advocacy, assistance with applying for government aid and/or housing, and assistance with substance abuse as alternative solutions to incarceration.

With caseload controls, staff investigators, mental health and substance abuse caseworkers, and a litigation budget, TRGPD is deeply committed to zealous, high-quality representation for its clients.We offer the advantage of having robust staff support with a 2-1 attorney-to-support staff ratio and the flexibility and willingness to support employee growth.

Beyond salary, benefits include law school loan repayment assistance, generous paid leave, healthcare insurance, retirement plan, and training & travel stipends. TRGPD Defenders train with the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Gideons Promise, the National Association for Public Defense, and other associations that are committed to the transformation of indigent defense and criminal justice reform.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

All attorneys will work with clients arrested under OLS collaboratively with other team members and under the supervision of the Project Manager. The attorneys duties will include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Defend individuals charged with felony cases under Operation Lone Star;
• Review, assess and analyze discovery, and draft correspondent legal memoranda;
• Provide individual client communication and know-your-right presentations to migrants charged under Operation Lone Star;
• Conduct legal research and draft pleadings and briefs;
• Collaborate with Asylum Defense Project on immigration-related issues impacting Operation Lone Star clients to mitigate adverse immigration consequences;
• Maintain accurate and complete client files and administrative records; and
• Manage cases from intake to final resolution, including pretrial, trial, appeals, and additional motion practice, as they arise.
• QUALIFICATIONS AND PREFERENCES:
• Licensed to practice law in Texas or willing to take the next available Texas bar exam;
• At least three years of criminal litigation experience as a licensed attorney;
• Experience with appeals;
• Proficiency in Office and legal research software; and
• Professional fluency in Spanish (highly preferred).
• Must reside in Eagle Pass, Texas.
  
• Preferred applicants will demonstrate an interest in providing justice to those who need it most, have worked in a public defender office, have strong academic credentials, and want to live and work in communities where our clients have the greatest needs.TRGPD is also looking for attorneys who aspire to become leaders both within our division and in the larger public defender community.

TRGPD is committed to offering fair and equal employment opportunities to all job applicants and employees. We strictly prohibit any form of discrimination and harassment of any type based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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