Administrator - Office of Assigned Counsel

Westchester County Government’s Office of Assigned Counsel is actively recruiting for an Administrator. Under the general direction of the Board of Directors, the successful candidate of this class oversees management and operations of the Office of Assigned Counsel pursuant to Chapter 186 of the Laws of Westchester County. In consultation with the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services. This position is appointed by the Westchester County Assigned Counsel Board of Directors subject to the approval of the County Executive and confirmation by the Board of Legislators for a four-year term subject to reappointment.

Responsibilities at A Glance:

Administer an Assigned Counsel Program in the County; establish protocols and policies for maintaining a panel of attorneys for assignment to indigent public defense clients in the criminal and family courts; ensure the provision of professional, skilled, ethical and client centered legal representation of such indigent public defense clients in compliance with the Standards for Establishing and Administering Assigned Counsel Programs promulgated by the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services. Supervision is exercised over professional and clerical employees. Does related work as required.

Examples of Work Include but Not Limited to:

Administers the Office of Assigned Counsel;

Maintains a panel of attorneys eligible to receive assignments for indigent representation based upon sufficient knowledge and experience;

Develops and monitors program policies, standards and operational procedures of the Assigned Counsel Program regarding qualifications for appointment to the panel of attorneys to represent indigent clients, recruitment of attorneys to serve on the panel, limitations on attorney caseloads, guidelines for the administrative responsibilities of panel attorneys and supervision and review of attorney caseloads and quality of legal representation;

Makes determinations on applications for certification to the panel of attorneys based upon recommendations from the person or organization tasked with review of certification or recertification applications;

Ensures adequate attorney participation on the panel and training for assigned counsel, including assignment of a mentor for all newly assigned panel attorneys;

Oversees coordination of panel attorneys to implement a prompt process for assignments matching client needs to attorney ability, training and experience;

Reviews all vouchers for services provided through the Assigned Counsel Program;

Prepares an annual budget proposal for review by the Board of Directors and submission to the County Budget Office;

Attends meetings with the Board of Directors and provide periodic reports as requested;

Assists the Board of Directors with preparation of an Annual Report for submission to the County Executive and County Board of Legislators by December 31st of each year;

Approves requests from panel attorneys for use of funding for any non-attorney professional services such as investigative, expert witness, forensic expertise, social work, interpreter, mental health supervised visitation or any other professional service as required to provide quality representation;

Conducts a periodic evaluation and review of the Program budget and communicate the fiscal and programmatic needs of the program to the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services to obtain state funding;

Prepares contracts for services required by the Assigned Counsel Program;

Required Qualifications:

A Law Degree* and a minimum of ten years of experience in the practice of law involving criminal and/or family law matters, three years of which must have included administrative experience

Special Requirement: Admission to the Bar of the State of New York at least ten years prior to appointment.

*Special Note: Education beyond the secondary level must be from an institution recognized or accredited by the Board of Regents of the New York State Education Office as a post-secondary, degree-granting institution.

COME JOIN OUR TEAM!

Besides a competitive salary, our compensation package includes comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, deferred compensation, paid leave and retirement plan.

Interested applicants should respond by sending a Cover Letter and Resume to jobs@westchestercountyny.gov or by mail to: 148 Martine Avenue, Suite 100 White Plains NY, 10601

Important, please include “Administrator (Office of Assigned Counsel)” in the subject line of your email

Westchester County Is an Equal Opportunity Employer