• Job Description

  Req#: R0075545

  About Our Job

  Who We Are

  The Office of the Municipal Public Defender has been in existence since January 1, 2015, and is overseen by the City's Chief Municipal Public Defender. The creation of this office ensures that the City and County of Denver is on the same level with other progressive municipalities providing quality in-house Public Defense services for indigent citizens in the City and County of Denver. The Office of the Municipal Public Defender of Denver is a holistic, wrap around public defender office that offers legal representation and connections to behavioral health services through our Client Support Team (CST) for clients who are accused of traffic offenses, municipal ordinance violations, and cases in specialty courts in Denver County. Beginning in July 2024, our office will begin representing youth who are accused of Denver municipal ordinance violations.

  The Office of the Municipal Public Defender (OMPD) has an exciting opportunity available as a Deputy Public Defender Youth Associate. The Deputy Public Defender Youth Associate will represent youth who are charged with violations of the Denver Municipal Code.

  What We Offer

  The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The expected starting annual salary for this position is $106,577.00-$141,214.00 based on experience. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

  • A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
  • 457B Retirement Plan
  • 132 hours of PTO earned within first year
  • 12 Paid Holidays per year, plus 1 personal holiday, and 8 hours of Denver Good Deeds volunteer time
  • Education Refund Program (ERP) - a chance for the city to support your continued learning and career growth by investing in your future with the city
  • Care Bank – 8 weeks of Paid Family Leave (after the probation period is passed)
  • Free RTD Eco Pass
  • Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

  Location

  In this position you will work on site at the Office of the Municipal Public Defender located at: 710 W Colfax, Denver CO 80204. This position will be 100% onsite from 8:00AM – 5:00PM with flexible work hours as needed.

  What You’ll Do

  As a Deputy Public Defender Youth Associate, you will represent youth who are charged with municipal ordinance violations. Additionally, you can expect to:

  • Provide legal representation, advice and consultation to youths assigned to the Municipal Public Defender's Office
  • Prepare pleadings, motions, orders, appeal briefs, and other papers required for trials, hearings, appeals, and other legal proceedings
  • Interview clients and witnesses to gather information in preparation for trial.
  • Prepare motions for continuances, dismissals, reduction of bail, and new trials and represent youth clients at numerous court hearings to include trials
  • Manage OMPD’s juvenile courtroom, acting as a liaison between the agency and the Denver Municipal juvenile justice system
  • Work with other agencies, law enforcement personnel and investigators to prepare cases for hearing
  • Perform legal research and assists other attorneys with research of complex legal problems
  • Any one position may not include all the duties listed. However, the allocation of positions will be determined by the amount of time spent in performing the essential duties listed above

  What You’ll Bring

  Our ideal candidate will have some or all of the following qualifications:

  • Five (5) years practicing juvenile criminal law
  • Two (2) years of supervisory experience
  • Attended and/or presented at trainings in the area of juvenile representation
  • Served on committees or other groups related to juvenile justice

  Required Minimum Qualifications

  We realize your time is valuable so please do not apply if you do not have at least the following minimum qualifications:

  • Education requirement: Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree
  • Experience Requirement: Two (2) years practicing criminal law
  • Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.
  • License/Certifications: Possession of a license to practice law in Colorado from the Colorado Supreme Court by the date of hire or a reasonable expectation of becoming licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court by the date of hire in accordance with C.R.C.P. 203.2, 203.3, 203.4 and 205.6. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment. Requires a valid driver's license at the time of application or the ability to obtain transportation to jail or prison facilities in surrounding area.

  Required Documents

  To be considered for this position, you must include the following on your job application (upload the multiple attachment(s) to the Resume/CV section on the My Experience tab):

  • Resume
  • Cover Letter, please include the following:
  • Colorado license #
  • A description of, or interest in, litigation experience or juvenile criminal law
  • A description of your experience working with the indigent population
  • A description of why you want to be a municipal public defender
  • Please provide two references

  Application Deadline

  Interviews are expected to be scheduled promptly, early applications are highly encouraged. This position is expected to stay open until Thursday, May 29, 2025. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than Thursday, May 29, 2025 at 11:59PM to ensure consideration.

  About Everything Else

  Job Profile

  CL2883 Deputy Public Defender Associate

  To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

  Position Type

  Unlimited

  Position Salary Range

  $106,577.00 - $175,852.00

  Starting Pay

  $106,577.00 - $141,244.00/yearly, based on education and experience

  Agency

  Office of Municipal Public Defender

  Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies

  City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

  The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

  It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

  Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

  For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.

• About the company

  Denver, officially the City and County of Denver, is the capital and most populous municipality of the US state of Colorado.

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