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):
20% pay increase as of 10/31/2022 -
- Anchorage, Kenai, Palmer: $82,914.00 - $128,544.00 annually
- Bethel: $124,371.00 - $192,816.00 annually
- Fairbanks: $85,410.00 - $132,405.00 annually
- Juneau: $87,067.50 - $134,979.00 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.
Statewide
Contract Attorney (Multiple Locations)
The Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) is looking for contract attorneys to handle civil, appellate, and criminal matters on behalf of the agency and its various sections. OPA provides legal advocacy and guardianship services to vulnerable Alaskans in addition to providing attorney services to indigent clients in conflict criminal cases received from the Public Defender Agency.
Contract attorneys are expected to work cases in a fully competent, high-quality manner and see them through to completion. Contracts are issued on either a flat fee or hourly basis, and payment is processed every month.
Certain case-related expenses such as travel, interpretation services, and expert witness are reimbursable with prior approval, while general office costs such as postage and office supplies are not reimbursable. Contractors must be active members of the Alaska bar, possess an active State of Alaska business license, and maintain professional liability insurance to be eligible for contract work.
For more information and to apply, please contact Jonathon Torres at jonathon.torres@alaska.gov.
Anchorage
Attorney II-IV - Office of Public Advocacy, Anchorage Criminal Section
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, there is some appellate work, but that is limited. 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 an Attorney II, III or IV depending on experience.
The ideal candidate will have prior experience working with indigent clients, litigating criminal cases, and handling a high-volume caseload. We also prioritize a dedication to high-quality representation of our clients, a desire and ability to work in a close-knit team environment. Preference will be given to experienced practitioners.
Compensation includes a comprehensive benefits package: medical, dental and vision insurance, retirement, and a minimum of four weeks of paid leave. To apply, please email your resume, cover letter, and writing sample to joseph.van.de.mark@alaska.gov. Salary range is commensurate with experience, between $82,914 and $128,544 annually.
This position will remain open until filled with a suitable candidate; applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
Investigator I-III – Office of Public Advocacy, Rural Defense Section (RDS)
The Office of Public Advocacy is seeking an investigator for its Rural Defense Section. This particular section — the Rural Defense Section (RDS) — focuses on criminal and parental defense and representing respondents in guardianship cases. RDS also occasionally represents children in child-in-need-of-aid cases, juvenile cases, and other assorted types of cases. RDS’s casework comes from across the state with a primary focus on cases in Northwestern and Western communities, with court sites in Nome, Unalakleet, Kotzebue, and Bethel. The daily work is generally done from Anchorage; however, travel across the state is required. This position is responsible for conducting investigation and other activities related to criminal and parental defense cases.
This position assists attorneys in obtaining and evaluating information and evidence, enabling them to provide effective legal representation for clients who have been appointed an attorney due to their inability to afford one on their own. The duties include interviewing clients and witnesses, both in person and telephonically, testifying in court, subpoenaing witnesses and records, reviewing police reports, records and interviews, conducting research on a variety of issues, obtaining copies of digital evidence, coordinating witness and expert travel, researching experts and making arrangements for their services, and preparing demonstrative aides to be used at trial. This position also assists with investigative activities related to juvenile representation and representation of respondents to guardianship proceedings, as well as administrative duties as needed.
Compensation includes a comprehensive benefits package: medical, dental and vision insurance, retirement, and a minimum of four weeks of paid leave. To learn more about this position or apply, please visit Workplace Alaska at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska. Salary range is commensurate with experience, between $54,990 - $100,990 annually.
Fairbanks
Attorney II-IV - Office of Public Advocacy, Conflict Counsel Fairbanks
The Office of Public Advocacy Fairbanks Conflict Counsel section has an Attorney II-IV position open. The Fairbanks Conflict Counsel section represents parents and children in child-in-need-of-aid (CINA) cases, respondents in guardianship cases, children in juvenile delinquency cases and indigent criminal defendants charged with all levels of criminal offenses. We are zealous advocates for our clients in and out of court and utilize a client centered approach.
The Fairbanks office is currently composed of three attorneys, one paralegal, and one LOA. We work together as a team to advocate for our clients throughout the entirety of their cases. 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. This position will remain open until filled with a suitable candidate.
All interested candidates should email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to office supervisor Megan Comolli electronically at megan.comolli@alaska.gov.
Palmer
Attorney II, Office of Public Advocacy, Long Term, Non-permanent
The Office of Public Advocacy, Palmer Criminal Section is hiring for an Attorney II position that focuses primarily on Child in Need of Aid matters. If interested, the candidate could also handle juvenile delinquency, adult criminal defense, or parent representation in non-CINA custody cases.
Our office handles cases from around the state, with focus on Glenallen, Valdez, and Cordova. Some intrastate travel is occasionally required. The position is long term, non-permanent and includes benefits such as paid leave and health care benefits. Prior applicants have typically held this position for at least a year before moving on to a permanent attorney position. Applicants must be admitted to the Alaska Bar or eligible to take the Alaska Bar Exam.
Interest applicants should provide a resume, writing sample and brief statement of interest to olivia.mackin@alaska.gov.
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.
Anchorage
Law Office Assistant II
The Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) is recruiting for a Law Office Assistant II in its Appeals and Statewide Defense (ASD) unit located in Anchorage. OPA provides legal advocacy and guardianship services to vulnerable Alaskans. With offices in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, Kenai, Palmer, and Bethel, OPA advocates for abused and neglected children in protective proceedings, provides public guardianship for incapacitated adults, advocacy for victims of elder fraud, attorney services for respondents in adult guardianship proceedings, for parents in child in need of aid cases, and conflict criminal cases received from the Public Defender Agency.
The OPA Appeals and Statewide Defense office is located in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. We offer free parking and are in walking distance from many great restaurants and coffee shops.
Our unit provides representation for indigent criminal defendants and civil litigants in a wide range of cases: felony and misdemeanor trials, criminal appeals, post-conviction relief proceedings, juvenile delinquency cases, protective guardianship proceedings for incapacitated adults, and Child in Need of Aid cases. The Law Office Assistant II position is the sole law office assistant for the unit’s six attorneys and one investigator. Administrative support is also provided by one paralegal.
Responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:
- Filing legal documents with the court and serving parties. Format, edit, proofread and revise documents for correct caption, syntax, punctuation, grammar and spelling.
- Processing incoming and outgoing mail and discoveries;
- Monitoring the shared office email inbox for incoming pleadings, orders, and discovery;
- Organizing paper files for multiple types of cases;
- Running a daily calendar with each attorney’s hearings for the next day;
- Answering incoming phone calls;
To learn more or to apply for this position, please visit Workplace Alaska at: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska
On-Call Law Office Assistant
The Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) is seeking an on-call Law Office Assistant to provide clerical and legal support to our administrative section’s case assignment unit. This is a non-benefited position that offers a flexible work schedule in a fast-paced, friendly, and professional work environment.
The successful candidate will possess strong organizational skills, be detail and goal-oriented, and possess a strong work ethic. Prior legal experience is preferred. OPA is a very fast-paced work environment where the ability to prioritize workloads and meet competing deadlines is essential.
The position’s duties include, but are not limited to:
- Draft, type, format, edit, and proofread correspondence and legal documents in a variety of formats;
- Track incoming case assignments and assist with distributing emails to OPA’s various sections;
- Research case discovery to aid in conflict analysis;
- Assemble appellate briefs along with other case-related documents;
- Prepare files for archiving
The position's salary is $19.98/hour. Interested candidates must possess one year of clerical experience and should email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to Amy Hoagland electronically at amy.hoagland@alaska.gov. This position will remain open until filled with a suitable candidate.