Jobs and Careers

Attorney I - Law Students - Public Defense Services

Pima County

United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 29 May 2026

💰 $156,686/yr($82,472/yr – $156,686/yr)

About the role

Job Description Summary

Department - Public Defense Services

Job Description

THIS RECRUITMENT IS TO ESTABLISH A REGISTER for future ATTORNEY I vacancies which serve all levels/assignments of Attorney in the offices of the Pima County Public Defense Services Department (Legal Advocate; Legal Defender; Mental Health Defender; Office of Children's Counsel; Public Defender; Public Fiduciary). Law students in their 3rd and 4th year, who will qualify by the time of hire, are welcome to apply. Qualification for hire includes Juris Doctorate and admission to the Arizona State Bar. The Pima County Public Defense Services Department DOES NOT hire applicants whose eligibility is limited to the Arizona Lawyer Apprentice Program (ALAP). Applicants MUST be eligible for full licensure with the State Bar of Arizona at time of hire.

Job Type: Unclassified

Job Classification: 3001 - Attorney I

Salary Grade: A2

Pay Range

Pay Range: $82,472 - $156,686 Annually

Range Explanation:

Hiring Range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity.
Pay Range is the entire compensation range for the position.

Coordinates and conducts professional legal work in Public Defense Services Department offices. Incumbents perform entry-level and/or intermediate-level legal work in the area assigned for either criminal or civil cases. Attorneys at this level prepare, defend, and resolve entry-level to advanced-level licensed professional legal work. Attorneys at this level receive close supervision from higher-level attorney personnel in the performance of their duties. More experienced attorneys in this classification work more independently under the general supervision of higher-level attorney personnel.

Pima County Public Defense Services represents indigent individuals upon appointment by the Court in felony cases, misdemeanor cases, juvenile delinquency matters, dependency and severance proceedings, Title 36 proceedings, guardianship cases, and appeals in Pima County. Attorneys provide direct client representation and handle diverse caseloads of various offenses, allegations, and degrees of seriousness. Attorneys work collaboratively and holistically with paralegals and/or secretaries, social workers, and investigators to understand the circumstances and priorities of each client and advocate for their desired outcomes through strategic and personalized litigation, negotiation, and mitigation.

This classification is in the unclassified service and is exempt from the Pima County Merit System Rules.

For more information on the Pima County Public Defense Services Department and the offices in this department, please visit their website at: www.pima.gov/pds.

Essential Functions:

As defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, this classification may include any of the following tasks, knowledge, skills, and other characteristics. This list is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by incumbents of this class. Work assignments may vary depending on the department’s need and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor.

Prosecutes or defends a variety of criminal or civil cases in Justice Court, Juvenile Court, Superior Court, Federal Court, and Appellate Courts which may include misdemeanor, felony, dependency, delinquency, mental health, guardianship, conservatorship, probate administration, contract, tort, environmental, real estate, tax issues, child support, or appellate cases;
Represents County departments, boards and commissions in civil litigation and administrative matters;
Engages in negotiations for compromise and settlement of cases and complies with Victims’ Rights;
Engages in pretrial, trial, post-trial and appellate practice as required by cases;
Prepares litigation, deposes witnesses, provides witness notification, and conducts bench and jury trials;
Researches legal questions;
Researches and drafts legal motions, pleadings, briefs and other legal documents;
Reviews, evaluates, and participates in investigations;