Office of Public Advocacy

Attorneys

The Office of Public Advocacy hires new and experienced attorneys to represent indigent clients in a range of cases: criminal, juvenile delinquency, Child in Need of Aid, guardianships, appeals, post-conviction relief, and more.

Compensation includes a comprehensive benefits package: medical, dental, and vision insurance, retirement, and a minimum of five weeks of paid leave. Salary range is commensurate with experience and dependent on location (COLA included):

Anchorage, Kenai, Palmer: $68,659.50 - $106,450.50 annually
Bethel: $102,999.00 - $159,685.50 annually
Fairbanks: $70,726.50 - $109,648.50 annually
Juneau: $72,091.50 - $111,774.00 annually

Benefits Information: http://doa.alaska.gov/dop/workplace/benefits/

We are currently accepting applications for attorneys in multiple locations and for multiple positions. Openings for attorney positions are posted below.

Fairbanks

Assistant Public Advocate

The Office of Public Advocacy is seeking an attorney for its Fairbanks Conflict Counsel section. We prize hard work, collegiality, and teamwork. We fight for the voiceless, representing indigent clients in a range of cases: criminal, juvenile delinquency, child in need of aid, guardianships, appeals, post-conviction relief (state habeas), and more.

Candidates must demonstrate a commitment to high-quality representation for indigent clients and a desire and ability to work in a close-knit team environment. A Juris Doctor from an ABA accredited university is required, as well as bar licensure in Alaska, willingness to sit for the next bar exam, or the ability to become licensed through reciprocity.

Compensation includes a comprehensive benefits package: medical, dental, and vision insurance, retirement, and a minimum of five weeks of paid leave. Salary is commensurate with experience and includes geographic pay differential. Travel opportunities are available, and the agency regularly provides high quality training to attorneys.

For more information or to apply, please contact Megan Comolli at megan.comolli@alaska.gov. This position will remain open until filled with a suitable candidate.

Palmer

Assistant Public Advocate

The Office of Public Advocacy, Palmer Criminal Section is looking for a Child in Need of Aid Attorney. The office has six attorneys who represent indigent clients in criminal defense, juvenile delinquency, Child in Need of Aid (parent and child representation), and Flores cases. The vacant position has historically handled primarily CINA cases, but there would be the opportunity to expand your practice area. The Palmer office handles Glenallen, Valdez and Cordova, and is quite often appointed to matters around the state. Travel within the state would be expected from time to time.

The qualified candidate will have trial experience, including the ability to analyze complex fact patterns, direct investigations, analyze scientific evidence, engage in extensive motion practice, and present evidence effectively in court. A Juris Doctor from an ABA accredited university is required, as well as bar licensure in Alaska or the ability to become licensed through reciprocity.

Depending on experience, the selected candidate would be hired at an Attorney II, III or IV level. Please email inquiries to olivia.mackin@alaska.gov.

Kenai

Assistant Public Advocate

Come to the Last Frontier. The Office of Public Advocacy is seeking an experienced attorney for its Kenai office. We prize hard work, collegiality, and teamwork. We fight for the voiceless, representing indigent criminal defendants charged with misdemeanors and felonies, parents in children in need of aid cases, and respondents in guardianship cases.

All interested candidates should email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to office supervisor Elizabeth Leduc electronically at elizabeth.leduc@alaska.gov. This position will remain open until filled with a suitable candidate.

Anchorage

Assistant Public Advocate

The Office of Public Advocacy, Anchorage Conflict Counsel Section is recruiting for an attorney to start summer or fall of 2022. We are inviting applicants of all experience levels.

This attorney position is a flex position, and the caseload will be tailored to the attorney’s experience level. Our section is almost exclusively criminal defense at the trial court level and handles everything from minor probation violations to unclassified felonies. The position is based in Anchorage, but the caseload will provide an opportunity to travel around Alaska.

Candidates should expect the position to provide trial experience, including analyzing complex fact patterns, directing investigations, analyzing scientific evidence, engaging in extensive motion practice and presenting evidence effectively in court. A Juris Doctor from an ABA accredited university is required, as well as bar licensure in Alaska or the ability to become licensed.

Interested applicants should email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to emily.cooper@alaska.gov.

Assistant Public Advocate

The Office of Public Advocacy is seeking an Attorney II, III or IV for its Anchorage Civil Litigation section. We prize hard work, collegiality, and teamwork. This section primarily represents parents and youth in CINA cases. The qualified candidate will have the ability to analyze complex fact patterns, direct investigations, analyze scientific evidence, engage in extensive motion practice and present evidence effectively in court. A Juris Doctor from an ABA accredited school is required, as well as bar licensure in Alaska or the ability to become licensed. Alaska does have reciprocity with many states. This position will be an Attorney II, III or IV depending on experience.

This office is currently composed of four attorneys with two support staff. Compensation includes a comprehensive benefits package: medical, dental and vision insurance, retirement, and a minimum of five weeks of paid leave. Salary range is commensurate with experience.

All interested candidates should email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to Daniel Lord electronically at daniel.lord@alaska.gov. This position will remain open until filled with a suitable candidate.

Assistant Public Advocate

Come to the Last Frontier. The Office of Public Advocacy is seeking a criminal trial attorney for its Anchorage Criminal Section. This Anchorage-based position is responsible for representing indigent criminal defendants in felony cases in the trial courts. Some travel around the State is required. The qualified candidate will have trial experience, including the ability to analyze complex fact patterns, direct investigations, analyze scientific evidence, engage in extensive motion practice and present evidence effectively in court. A Juris Doctor from an ABA accredited school is required, as well as bar licensure in Alaska or the ability to become licensed. Alaska does have reciprocity with many states. This position will be either an Attorney III or IV depending on experience.

Anchorage features over 100 miles of bike and lighted ski trails within the city limits. Outdoor activities are literally only minutes away. World-class outdoor recreational opportunities include cross-country and downhill skiing, hiking, biking, fresh and salt-water fishing, kayaking, boating, wind surfing, climbing, hunting, and dog-mushing. Anchorage also leads the state in entertainment opportunities including dining, theater, nightclubs, opera, symphony, and art. Anchorage’s central location places it within relative close proximity to most of the state’s major tourism attractions. Numerous national parks and wildlife preserves are all within close driving and flying distance, making Anchorage an ideal take-off point for wilderness excursions.

Compensation includes a comprehensive benefits package: medical, dental and vision insurance, retirement and a minimum of five weeks of paid leave. Salary range is commensurate with experience. To apply, please email your resume, cover letter, and writing sample to joseph.van.de.mark@alaska.gov. This position will remain open until filled with a suitable candidate; applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Assistant Public Advocate

The Office of Public Advocacy, Appeals and Statewide Defense Section, is currently hiring an attorney to represent indigent clients in Child in Need of Aid (CINA) cases, as well as in a mix of juvenile delinquency matters and/or guardianship proceedings. Our unit also handles criminal trial cases, post-conviction relief applications, and criminal appeals, so there are opportunities to diversify your practice according to your interests.

The ideal candidate will have prior experience working with indigent clients, litigating CINA or related cases, and handling a high-volume caseload. Our highest priorities are a dedication to high-quality representation of our clients, a desire and ability to work in a close-knit team environment, and a willingness to cross-train in areas outside your specific practice to assist your coworkers when necessary.

This is a flex Attorney II-IV position based in Anchorage, but there may be opportunities for travel throughout the state. Compensation includes comprehensive benefits: medical, dental and vision insurance, retirement and a minimum of five weeks of paid leave. Salary range is commensurate with experience.

To apply, please email your resume, cover letter, writing sample, and references to brooke.berens@alaska.gov. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Bethel

Assistant Public Advocate

Come to the Last Frontier. The Office of Public Advocacy is seeking a trial attorney for its Bethel office. We prize hard work, collegiality, and teamwork. We fight for the voiceless, representing indigent criminal defendants charged with misdemeanors and felonies, parents in children in need of aid cases, and respondents in guardianship cases.

All interested candidates should email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to office supervisor John Putikka electronically at john.putikka@alaska.gov. This position will remain open until filled with a suitable candidate.

Non-Attorney Staff

The Office of Public Advocacy hires Guardians Ad Litem, Public Guardians, and other non-attorney staff, including legal investigators, paralegals, and law office assistants. Job postings for these positions are found on Workplace Alaska. Current job openings can be found below.

Palmer

On-Call Law Office Assistant

The Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) provides legal advocacy and guardianship services to vulnerable Alaskans. We fight for the voiceless, representing indigent criminal defendants charged with misdemeanors and felonies, parents in children in need of aid cases, and respondents in guardianship cases.

Our Palmer Civil office is looking for an on-call Law Office Assistant to provide clerical support to a team of public guardians and guardians ad litem. This is a non-benefited position that offers an excellent opportunity for applicants who are seeking a challenging position in a fast-paced, positive, and professional work environment.

The successful candidate will possess strong organizational skills, be detail and goal-oriented, and possess a well-developed work ethic. OPA is a very fast-paced work environment where the ability to prioritize workloads and meet competing deadlines is essential.

Examples of Duties:

Answer, screen, and route all incoming calls. Greet clients and visitors to the office;
Draft, type, format, and edit, and proofread correspondence and legal documents in a variety of formats (including electronic);
Ensure all documents are prepared according to court rules and procedures;
Create and maintain case information into a specialized database and run reports as requested;
Redact information from discovery documents;
Maintain court calendars;
Reception duties: open, date-stamp, distribute incoming mail, post outgoing mail, perform daily court run distribution and filing;
Organize and file all incoming discovery and documents;
Prepare files for archiving

Interested candidates must possess one year of clerical experience and should email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to Jin Chong electronically at jin.chong@alaska.gov. This position will remain open until filled with a suitable candidate.

Kenai

On-Call Office Assistant

Our Kenai office is looking for an on-call Office Assistant I to provide administrative clerical support to 1-2 attorneys through the independent performance of answering incoming calls, taking messages, typing, filing, copying, data entry, processing mail, archiving case files, and other duties as assigned. A high school diploma or G.E.D. is required; prior database experience preferred.

Juneau

Paralegal

This position is the sole paralegal and administrative support for the Juneau Civil Section, consisting of a supervising attorney, two public guardians, two guardians ad litem (GALs), and a CASA program coordinator. This position is responsible for assisting the public guardians and GALs with reports and routine tasks, including filing documents with the court; obtaining medical and other confidential client records; distributing documents, including mail and paper or electronic discovery, within the office; and managing new and existing files using electronic databases and physical files. This is a great opportunity to use your organizational and interpersonal skills by managing incoming and outgoing case documents, reports, and other records.

The paralegal is the first point of contact by telephone, email and in-person for clients, other state agencies, and professionals.

Our office presents the opportunity to work as part of a strong team providing advocacy on behalf of vulnerable Alaskans while enhancing your office skills and legal acumen. This office works as a team and everyone has a key role, no matter the position.

For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/alaska/jobs/3337215/paralegal-1-pcn-02-1703. Applications will be accepted through January 19, 2022.

Statewide

Court Visitor (Contract Position)

The Office of Public Advocacy is required by Alaska Statute to provide court visitor services. OPA contracts with individuals across the state to provide these services. A court visitor is appointed when a petition for adult guardianship or conservatorship is filed to investigate the involved person and his or her circumstances, and recommend to the court an appropriate resolution. Court visitors are reappointed every three years to review and report to the court regarding existing guardianship and conservatorship cases. Court visitors also participate in psychotropic medication proceedings in psychiatric facilities, and offer an opinion as to whether the patient has capacity to give or withhold informed consent for medications. OPA works with the Alaska Court System with Court Visitor duties, assignments and training. Recruiting in Anchorage, Palmer, Kenai Peninsula and the Southeast locations.

Qualifications

Degree in social work, psychology, human services or other related medical or mental health field preferred or business or legal degree with experience/knowledge in the health and social services field
Experience can be substituted for degree in the health and social services field
Good listening skills; friendliness, patience and tact
Excellent writing skills
Ability to work cooperatively with a wide variety of individuals, including people with significant physical and mental impairments and varying socio-economic backgrounds
Willingness to complete case reports on forms provided by the court
Ability to remain objective and non-judgmental in making reports to the court
Ability to hold information in confidence
Strong desire to help people and to further the goals of the monitoring project
Willingness to provide own transportation to make visits and travel in State of Alaska if needed

Commitment

Contract through Alaska Court System
Full and part time hours available
Flexibility on work hours but on-call support needed
Business license required

Compensation

$35.00 hourly
Contract position only

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume and three references electronically to Lisa Wawrzonek, Court Visitor Administrator at lwawrzonek@akcourts.gov.