What are the responsibilities and job description for the Criminal Defense Attorney (80359) position at New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender?
Salary : $65,416.00 - $133,536.00 Annually
Location : Aztec, NM
Job Type : Career Appointment, Full-Time
Job Number : 80359
Unit : 11th Dist-SanJuan-Aztec-Team Rollup
Division : 11th Dist-SanJuan-Aztec-TeamRo
Opening Date : 12 / 31 / 2024
Closing Date : 1 / 26 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Mountain
Objectives Summary
- This position qualifies for a geographical pay differential of an additional $2.25 hourly / $4,680.00 annually
Our department offers flexible work opportunities, including teleworking (a.k.a. working from home) and work schedules outside the typical 8 am to 5 pm schedule. Applicants selected for a position are encouraged to discuss these options with the hiring manager early in the hiring process to ensure the specifics of any terms and conditions of an approved flexible work arrangement are clearly understood.
For more information about living in Aztec, New Mexico,
To provide professional legal services for the Law Offices of the Public Defender in representing juvenile and adult indigent clients in areas of litigation, appeal, counsel, research and analysis.
Essential Functions
Criminal Defense Attorney PD2, PD3 or PD4 :
Incumbent will be considered for a Public Defender 2, 3, or 4 classification. Classification will be determined at the time of hire based on applicant's job related qualifications and agency critical need.
Public Defender 2 (PD2) :
Public Defender 3 (PD3)
Public Defender 4 (PD4)
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Note : An employee with this classification may be required to perform at a PD4, PD3, PD2 level or duties of a lower classification without additional compensation. Employee will be required to show competence in all levels PD2 through PD4.
Minimum Qualifications
PD2 : Current license as an attorney issued by the New Mexico Supreme Court or eligible for limited license issued by New Mexico Supreme Court.
PD3 : Current licensure as an attorney issued by the New Mexico Supreme Court or eligible for limited license issued by New Mexico Supreme Court and one (1) year of experience as a practicing attorney.
PD4 : Current license as an attorney issued by the New Mexico Supreme Court or eligible for limited license issued by New Mexico Supreme Court and four (4) years of experience as a practicing attorney.
Employment Requirements
Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
Collective Bargaining : This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement and all terms / conditions of that agreement apply and must be adhered to.
Default FLSA : Exempt.
The Law Offices of the Public Defender is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, spousal affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, political affiliation or religion, mental or physical disability, or serious medical condition.
This job advertisement may be used to fill multiple vacancies.
Preference may be given to multilingual applicants fluent in English and other languages.
The State's General Services Department Risk Management Division, Employee Benefits Bureau (EBB), is responsible for the procurement and oversight of employee benefits - including Medical, Pharmacy, Dental, Vision, Short & Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance. The State's Group Benefits Plan also offers COBRA, Flexible Spending Account Programs, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Erisa Administrative Services, Inc. (Erisa) is the State's Third Party Administrator. They provide benefits administration to all plan participants, and offer knowledgeable staff to answer your questions. To learn more about the benefits available please
In addition to the benefits listed above, the Law Offices of The Public Defender offers a retirement plan and a medical program for retirees. For more information regarding the plan you can visit the following websites :
Total Compensation Package
As an employee of the Law Offices of the Public Defender (LOPD), you receive regular pay for your services. The other part of your total compensation is the value of the benefits LOPD makes available to you and, if applicable, your family. The Total Compensation Estimator is for illustrative purposes only and provides benefits-eligible employees an estimate of their total compensation based on selected options from the drop-downs in the estimator.
This estimator is not a legal document. All benefits are governed by the actual benefit plans, which have precedence over the information reported in this calculator. Rates are not guaranteed and may change annually based on legislative decisions. If you have any questions about this estimator, don't hesitate to get in touch with Human Resources at
Employers are required by state and federal law to post certain information concerning the rights of employees. The required posters are listed below and may be printed individually using a standard printer and paper.
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New Mexico state minimum wage is $12.00 per hour effective January 1, 2023. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. More information can be read at
Please contact for questions.
CDA Q : 1Which of the following do you possess :
CDA Q : 2How many total years of experience as a practicing attorney do you have documented in the Work Experience section of your application?PLEASE NOTE : If the years of experience that you indicate below cannot be found in the Work Experience section of this application, your application may not be eligible for further consideration. It is recommended that you attach documents that support your work experience at this time. If you are attempting to attach documents, but are unable to, you should email lopd-hr@lopdnm.us. with the documents and your contact information. Or, if selected for an interview, you should bring the documents to your interview.
CDA Q : 3
Please provide licensure details below for all states in which you are licensed or have been licensed to practice law including license number, location issued, expiration date and status.PLEASE NOTE : if this information is not provided, your application may not be recognized as being qualified for this position. It is recommended that you attach documents that support your licensure details (as requested above) at this time. If you are attempting to attach the documents to support the details of your licensure, but are unable to, you should email lopd-hr@lopdnm.us with the attachments and your contact information. Or, if selected for an interview, you should bring the documents to your interview.
CDA Q : 4
How many total years of experience in Criminal Litigation experience do you have documented in the Work Experience section of your application?PLEASE NOTE : If the years of experience that you indicate below cannot be found in the Work Experience section of this application, your application may not be eligible for further consideration. It is recommended that you attach documents that support your work experience at this time. If you are attempting to attach documents, but are unable to, you should email lopd-hr@lopdnm.us. with the documents and your contact information. Or, if selected for an interview, you should bring the documents to your interview.
CDA Q : 5
Do you have trial experience as a public defender?
Briefly describe when and how you obtained this experience. Please note if you answered "No" to the previous question, type "n / a" as your response to this question.
CDA Q : 7How many felony level trials have you completed?
Briefly describe when and how you obtained this experience. Please note if you answered "No" to the previous question, type "n / a" as your response to this question.
CDA Q : 9
Do you have experience working with marginalized populations such as indigent individuals, immigrants, and those living in homelessness or with mental health and / or substance abuse issues?
Briefly describe when and how you obtained this experience. Please note if you answered "No" to the previous question, type "n / a" as your response to this question.
CDA Q : 11Do you have experience preparing and arguing motions?
Briefly describe when and how you obtained this experience. Please note if you answered "No" to the previous question, type "n / a" as your response to this question.
CDA Q : 13 For current State of New Mexico employees : I understand that the Law Offices of the Public Defender will only accept up to 40 hours of annual leave and all sick leave. Furthermore, upon transfer, I will begin a new probationary period regardless of a break in service from my current state agency.
CDA Q : 14
I understand that my response to the question regarding years of experience as a practicing attorney will be confirmed. I have included my related work experience in the Work Experience Section of my application with a detailed description of my related duties. If I am attempting to attach documents, but unable to, I should email lopd-hr@lopdnm.us. with the documents and my contact information. Or if selected for an interview, I may bring the documents to my interview.
Required Question
Salary : $65,416 - $133,536
