CHIEF DEPUTY PUBLIC DEFENDER
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CHIEF DEPUTY PUBLIC DEFENDER
Salary
$64.89 - $101.59 Hourly
Location
Clark County - Las Vegas, NV
Job Type
PERMANENT
Job Number
30233X
Department
Special Public Defender
Opening Date
06/02/2026
Closing Date
Continuous
Description
Benefits
Questions
ABOUT THE POSITION
The Clark County Public Defender and Special Public Defender's Office are seeking qualified candidates for the Chief Deputy Public Defender position. This position provides a wide variety of highly complex and specialized professional legal services, including handling the most complex cases, major criminal, capital murder, and other high-profile cases, and/or serve as Team Chief providing supervision of a unit of attorneys and other legal support staff in the Office of the Public Defender or Special Public Defender.
Public Defender: Chief Deputy Public Defenders assigned to the Public Defender's Office will provide dedicated and zealous representation to indigent members of our community and will work within a team of professionals to craft the best possible defenses to a variety of criminal charges, including felonies, misdemeanors, and juvenile court cases. Deputy Public Defenders interview, advise, and represent clients, structure and direct investigations, prepare trials, pleadings, and motions, and try cases before courts and juries.
Special Public Defender: Chief Deputy Public Defenders assigned to the Special Public Defender's Office will be involved in working in a collaborative team environment to provide zealous and effective legal representation to individuals charged with Category A felonies, such as capital murder, murder, and sexual assault. The position includes handling both trial and appellate work, requiring strong litigation, research, and writing skills. It may also include serving as a Team Chief, with responsibility for supervising and supporting a team of attorneys and support staff.
This is an open and continuous recruitment, scheduling dates will vary depending on when the application was received and reviewed by Human Resources.
Human Resources reserves the right to call only the most qualified applicants to the selection process.
Some positions may be confidential positions and are excluded from membership in the union.
Some positions may be non-union positions and are excluded from membership in the union.
NOTE: A resume is required in addition to the completed employment application. Applications submitted without a copy of the candidate's resume are incomplete and will not be considered.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Education and Experience: Possession of a certificate of admission to the Bar of the State of Nevada and eligibility to practice law before the courts of the State of Nevada, AND eight (8) years of experience in professional legal work, including four (4) years as a practicing attorney, OR five (5) years of professional legal experience as a Deputy Public Defender in the Public Defender's or Special Public Defender's Offices of Clark County.
All qualifying education and each experience must be clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of the application . Do not substitute a resume for your application or write "see attached resume" on your application. All details must be written in your own words and cannot be copied from job descriptions or other external sources.
Background Investigation: Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation. Periodically after employment background investigations may be conducted.
Citizenship: Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Please note, Clark County does not provide H1B visa sponsorships or transfers for any employment positions.
Pre-Employment Drug Testing: Employment is contingent upon the results of a pre-employment drug examination.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
Plans, directs, coordinates, and reviews work of subordinate staff in the preparation of cases for hearings and/or trial; assures appropriate handling of cases and the provision of quality professional legal services.
Supervises new attorneys; provides for appropriate training of attorneys; assigns cases; reviews cases and settlement offers; evaluates staff performance.
Provides assistance and advice to other attorneys with regard to issues in specified areas of expertise.
Oversees cases and attorneys assigned to a team or unit; supervises and reviews the preparation and presentation of the Defense case in criminal, juvenile and dependency actions; counsels colleagues on legal strategies and legal issues; conducts preliminary evaluation of the case.
Personally directs and/or handles the investigation and defense of family defense cases or difficult felony cases involving multiple defendants and multiple charges, capital murder cases, sensitive juvenile, dependency and other high profile cases having serious consequences of error or a high degree of public interest.
Negotiates with the prosecution regarding the disposition of cases or modification of charges; performs specialized legal research and litigation in unique and/or complex areas of law. Interprets and applies laws, court decisions and legal points and authorities for use in the preparation of cases, opinions and briefs.
Dictates legal instruments, correspondence and reports.
Contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of the unit's service to its customers by offering suggestions and directing or participating as an active member of a work team.
Maintains accurate records and files; prepares a variety of records and reports as assigned.
Uses standard office equipment, including a computer in the performance of the work.
May drive a personal or County vehicle in the course of the work or be capable of arranging for transportation to off-site locations in order to attend meetings and conduct other legal business.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Mobility to work in a typical office setting and use standard office equipment, vision to read printed materials and a computer screen, and hearing and speech to communicate in person or over the telephone. Stand for prolonged periods of time. Speak in a clear and comprehensible manner. Hear and respond to questions posed. Accommodation may be made for some of these physical demands for otherwise qualified individuals who require and request such accommodation.
Come Make a Difference and Join the Clark County Family where we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
Flexible Schedules including 4/10 options
More Money in Your Pocket
100% Employer Paid Defined Benefit Retirement
No Social Security Deduction
No State Income Taxes
Two Employer Sponsored Health Plans Offered - Choice of PPO or EPO (hybrid of HMO)
Medical (https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/risk\management/employee\and\retiree\health_benefits.php#outer-2778) - Employer pays 90% of premium
Pharmacy Benefits (30, 90-day retail or mail order fills)
24/7 Telephone Advice Nurse - no employee cost
Teledoc, Doctoroo, and Dispatch Health
Retiree insurance - eligible after 5 years of service
Dental
Vision
Life Insurance - Employer Paid
AD&D - Employer Paid
Long Term Disability - Employer Paid
Generous Leave Accruals that include:
13 Paid Holidays including a Floating Birthday Holiday
Paid Vacation Leave
Paid Sick Leave
Holiday Leave
Other leave options
Catastrophic Leave
Parental Leave - Up to 90 days
Wide Variety of Voluntary Benefits that include
Guardian - Accident, Cancer, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Short-Term Disability Insurance.
Trustmark - Permanent Life Insurance benefits and long-term care.
Sunlife Financial - Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance, AD&D, and long-term disability insurance
TASC - Flexible Spending Account - FSA & Dependent Day Care Debit Card Available
Morgan Stanley - Deferred Compensation Plan
Employee Assistance Program
Onsite Fitness Center - $12/month
*Benefits vary and are subject to change depending on assignment, hiring organization and bargaining unit.
01
In order to be considered for this position, you must include a resume in addition to the application. Applications submitted without a resume will be considered incomplete. Resumes may be attached to the online application or emailed to ashley.gonzalez@clarkcountynv.gov All application materials must be received by the closing date/time on the posting announcement.
I understand I must include a resume in addition to the completed application in order to be considered for this position. I further understand these must be submitted by the closing date listed on the posting announcement.
02
In order to be considered for this position, you must establish a principal place of residency within the boundaries of Clark County within 90 calendar days of employment and maintain that residence while employed with Clark County.
I understand that I must establish a principal place of residency within the boundaries of Clark County within 90 calendar days of my first day of employment and maintain that residence while employed with Clark County
03
The following questions 3 - 11 will be used to assist in determining if candidates meet the minimum qualifications. Please note that part-time experience must be prorated and credited as half of full-time experience (i.e., if you performed the task for two years in a part-time position, 20 hours per week, you can only credit yourself with one year of experience in that area).
Which best describes your level of education? (Applicants with foreign or international education, including full degrees, partial degrees, or individual credits, must obtain a professional credential evaluation from an accredited evaluation agency. The evaluation must verify the U.S. educational equivalency and, if the applicant is offered a position, an original and verifiable copy must be submitted to Clark County at the candidate's expense.)
Some High School
High School Diploma or GED
Trade School or Technical Degree
Some College (1-29 semester credits)
Some College (30-59 semester credits)
Some College (60-89 semester credits)
Some College (90-120+ semester credits)
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree or higher
Juris Doctor
None of the above
04
Do you currently possess a certificate of admission to the Bar of the State of Nevada?
Yes
No
05
Are you eligible to practice law before the courts of the State of Nevada?
Yes
No
06
Indicate your full-time experience in professional legal work.
No Experience
Less than 8 years
8 to 10 years
8 to 12 years
More than 12 years
07
Please list all employer(s) and each job title on your application where your experience was obtained in question 6. The template provided below must be completed in its entirety or the application will be considered incomplete and not eligible to move forward in the process. Type N/A if you have no related experience (see template below). Do not list "see attached resume"
Employer Name:
Job Title:
Hours Worked Per Week:
Dates of Employment:
08
Indicate your full-time professional experience as a practicing attorney.
No Experience
Less than 4 years
4 to 5 years
5 to 6 years
More than 6 years
09
Please list all employer(s) and each job title on your application where your experience was obtained in question 8. The template provided below must be completed in its entirety or the application will be considered incomplete and not eligible to move forward in the process. Type N/A if you have no related experience (see template below). Do not list "see attached resume"
Employer Name:
Job Title:
Hours Worked Per Week:
Dates of Employment:
10
Indicate your full-time professional experience as a Deputy Public Defender in the Public Defender's or Special Public Defender's Offices of Clark County.
No Experience
Less than 5 years
5 to 6 years
6 to 7 years
More than 7 years
11
Please list all employer(s) and each job title on your application where your experience was obtained in question 10. The template provided below must be completed in its entirety or the application will be considered incomplete and not eligible to move forward in the process. Type N/A if you have no related experience (see template below). Do not list "see attached resume"
Employer Name:
Job Title:
Hours Worked Per Week:
Dates of Employment:
12
The following skills assessment is a self-assessment used to evaluate an applicant's training and experience.
I understand that:
A) Part-time experience must be prorated and credited as half of full-time experience (i.e., if you performed the task for two years in a part-time position, 20 hours per week, you can only credit yourself with one year of experience in that area)
B) The education, knowledge, and experience levels indicated by my skills assessment responses must be supported and clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of my application;
C) Any falsification or misrepresentation of the information listed on the employment application or skills assessment may result in removal from the eligibility list or rescinding a job offer;
D) Responses to assessment questions that are not supported and clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections on the application may result in question scores being adjusted to receive zero points;
E) Assessment scores may be used to consider applicants for the selection process;
F) I further understand that since exam scores will be automatically generated based on the applicant's response to each item in the assessment, score appeals will not be allowed for this recruitment.
I have read and understand the above information regarding the completion of the following skills assessment questions. I further understand that this recruitment includes a skills assessment and that the answers I provide must be consistent with the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections detailed on my application and that scoring appeals will not be allowed for this recruitment.
13
Please indicate if you are certified under Nevada Supreme Court Rule 250 for capital trials, appeals and/or post- conviction cases. (select all that apply).
Yes, for trials
Yes, for appeals
Yes, for post-conviction
Not SCR 250 Certified
14
Indicate the number of capital murder cases you have taken to trial.
No Experience
1 case
2 - 3 cases
4 - 6 cases
7 - 8 cases
More than 9 cases
15
Indicate the number of capital murder cases you resolved/negotiated prior to trial.
No Experience
1 case
2 - 3 cases
4 - 6 cases
7 - 8 cases
More than 9 cases
16
Indicate the number of non-capital murder cases or sexual assault cases you have taken to trial.
No Experience
1 - 5 cases
6 - 10 cases
11 - 24 cases
More than 24 cases
17
Indicate the number of non-capital murder cases or sexual assault cases you resolved/negotiated prior to trial.
No Experience
1 - 5 cases
6 - 10 cases
11 - 24 cases
More than 24 cases
18
Indicate the number of felony jury trials where you represented the accused.
No Experience
1 - 5 cases
6 - 10 cases
11 - 20 cases
More than 20 cases
19
Indicate which statement best characterizes your legal writing and research skills.
I am excellent at legal research and writing. I routinely draft original motions, stay current with existing case authority, and develop new issues.
I am decent at legal research and writing. I don't file unique motions for every case, but file them on some occasions.
I usually seek help from other attorneys or staff if I need to file a motion.
I rarely conduct legal research as I find that it is not necessary for most of my cases.
None of the above
20
Please indicate below the statement that best describes your Spanish bilingual ability.
I am not bilingual in Spanish
I have a good comprehension of Spanish
I speak Spanish fluently
I read and write Spanish at a proficient level
I read, write, and speak Spanish fluently
21
Do you currently hold a valid driver's license?
Yes, I currently hold a valid Nevada driver's license.
Yes, I currently hold a valid driver's license from another state.
No, I do not currently hold a valid driver's license.
Required Question
Employer
Clark County
Address
500 S. Grand Central Pkwy, 3rd Floor PO Box 551791 Las Vegas, Nevada, 89155-1791
Phone
(702)455-4565
Website
http://www.clarkcountynv.gov
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