PDS Overview: The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) is a federally funded, independent organization governed by an eleven-member board of trustees. PDS provides legal representation to individuals facing a loss of freedom in the District of Columbia’s criminal, delinquency, and mental health systems. PDS’s approximately 230 employees, comprising attorneys, social workers, professional counselors, mitigation specialists, investigative specialists, administrative, and technical staff, collaborate to advance the PDS mission. PDS’ main office is located at 633 3rd Street, NW, Washington, D.C. District of Columbia residency is not a requirement for employment.

Employment at the Public Defender Service (PDS) is neither federal nor District of Columbia government employment, and all employees are at-will.

The Trial Division of the Public Defender Service zealously represents adults in criminal proceedings in the District of Columbia Superior Court (Superior Court) and children in delinquency matters. Attorneys are assigned to specific levels of cases based on experience and performance. As a result of intensive supervision and ongoing training, attorneys generally progress over the course of several years from litigating juvenile delinquency matters to litigating the most serious adult offenses. Trial Division staff attorneys also provide representation in a wide range of other legal matters through PDS’s Duty Day Program and the Superior Court’s Drug Court Program.

The Mental Health Litigation Specialist serves as a litigation support attorney within the Trial Division, responsible for co-counseling and/or consulting on pre-trial criminal cases with clients who have diminished capacity that impacts legal issues.

Those issues include, but are not limited to: competency to stand trial; criminal responsibility and other affirmative mental health defenses; involuntary medication; evidentiary issues such as competency to waive Miranda, false confessions,  witness competency to testify; and complex mental health mitigation. The Trial Mental Health Litigation Specialist will represent our most underserved clients, using their medical and scientific expertise as part of the litigation strategy to secure the best possible outcome for clients. 

Major duties include:

• Co-counseling cases for mental health litigation, including, but not limited to, competency litigation, involuntary medication litigation, insanity defenses, statement exclusion, and other mitigation and mental health-related litigation; 
• Consulting with attorneys on mental health-related issues that arise in the course of representation;
• Drafting and editing legal pleadings, motions, memoranda, and other mental health advocacy documents for evidentiary hearings, trials, and sentencing; 
• Reviewing and synthesizing mental health and medical records; 
• Preparing direct examinations and cross-examinations of mental health experts; 
• Consulting with experts to prepare written reports and provide testimony; 
• Drafting model pleadings on mental health-related issues for litigation;  
• Researching mental health issues arising in criminal and delinquency prosecutions;
• Attending court hearings and trials as part of the defense team;
• Performing other duties as assigned that support Trial Division litigation and client representation.

J.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited law school; at least four years of criminal litigation experience; demonstrated commitment to serving clients living with mental illness and/or development disabilities; at least two years of experience working with indigent clients and/or clients living with mental illness and/or developmental or acquired cognitive disabilities; excellent research, writing, and oral persuasion skills; exceptional analytical and critical thinking skills; ability to produce high-quality written work; strong organizational and time-management abilities; and membership in the D.C. bar.

Starting Annual Salary: $121,894

Full Performance Level: 15