Major Felony Attorney IV - Internal and External

About the role

The Marion County Public Defender Agency provides legal representation for Marion County residents who cannot afford to hire their own lawyer in matters involving liberty interests, including criminal cases. Our services are provided as a public service. We work with the felony, misdemeanor, Title IV D, civil commitment, and juvenile courts. We also work on cases related to termination of parental rights as well as appeals. Our agency also offers education, services, and programs focused on different ways to serve jail sentences.

Responsibilities

• Appears in court to provide effective representation of counsel to indigent persons charged with level 1-5 offenses including sex offenses or murder, or the equivalent charges in juvenile or appellate courts.
• Conducts legal and factual review of the case; evaluates the legal and factual evidence for, or against, the client; engages in pretrial motion practice; and takes and defends depositions.
• Consults with client, interviews witnesses and consults with medical, forensic, DNA or other experts as needed to effectively represent client.
• Communicates with clients through regular methods to include telephone conversations, in person interviews, and jail consultations.
• Reviews and updates court files; keeps client and families updated on case progress.
• Delegates assignments to paralegal III and investigators, as appropriate.
• Collaborates with social workers on multi-disciplinary strategies to achieve client objectives.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate and license to practice required.
• Strong verbal, written, communication and presentation skills are required along with top level interpersonal and facilitation skills.
• Computer knowledge a must.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.

Qualifications

• Four (4) years of litigation experience in Termination of Parental Rights Proceedings.

Skills

• Independent Judgment is regularly utilized when there are no available policies and procedures.
• Independent actions and judgment are exercised in making decisions that are complex in nature and have considerable impact on Public Defender Agency policy.
• Decisions and actions may be controlled by state and federal laws.
• Exercises initiative, creativity, and independent problem-solving skills.

Benefits

Life Insurance Employee Only (rates per $1,000 per month): Basic: Employer Paid
Optional Life Insurance Employee Only (rates per $1,000 per month): Additional
30-34 $0.083
35-39 $0.099
40-44 $0.132
45-49 $0.223
50-54 $0.363
55-59 $0.600
60-64 $0.795
65-69 $1.329
70 + $2.054

Pay

Bi-weekly. 2026 Rate Sheet - To view our rate sheet, please copy and paste this link into your web browser: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:67382b58-4d1a-4519-89d7-8453f91e19a1

Schedule

Essential functions are regularly performed in an office setting without exposure to adverse environmental conditions. Physical Conditions: Sitting at a desk the majority of the day. Some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5-10) pounds. Tasks may involve extended periods of time at keyboard or workstation. Tasks require the ability to perceive and hear sounds and see visual cues or signals. Tasks require the ability to communicate orally.