ASSIGNMENT COORDINATOR

Wayne County's Indigent Defense Services Department is developing a staff of dedicated professionals who are committed to excellence in criminal defense representation at the trial court level, and equal access to justice. The IDSD launched in August of 2020 with the hiring of its Director, and a staff of fifteen employees is anticipated in FY 2023. The IDSD is state-funded through annual grants from the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC).

The IDSD manages the transition and will assume responsibility for the entire indigent defense system in Wayne County's Third Circuit Court, Michigan's largest trial court handling more than 15,000 assignments of counsel in felony cases that originate in the county's numerous district courts. In 2022, approximately 65% of the assignments were handled by more than 200 private assigned counsel who were qualified by the IDSD Attorney Assignment Committee to handle cases in four Tiers, or categories, of cases. The remaining 35% of assignments went to the Neighborhood Defender Service Detroit (NDSD), Wayne County's public defender vendor.

Working under the supervision of the Assigned Counsel Administrator, the Assignment Coordinator will facilitate assignment of counsel in felony cases and facilitate access to resources needed by counsel to effectively represent clients after case assignment, including discovery, location of clients, jail visits, investigator and expert services, training, and legal research.

Responsibilities of the Assignment Coordinator include:

• Working closely with the Assigned Counsel Administrator, IT Manager and Third Circuit Court staff to ensure the smooth and efficient transition of management of case and attorney assignments, and develop IDSD policies and procedures for the assignment of felony counsel function;
• Working with IDSD staff and system stakeholders to develop an effective case management system;
• Working with the IDSD and Third Circuit Court staff to facilitate compliance with MIDC standards and Wayne County's annual compliance plans;
• Tracking Third Circuit felony cases for planning and MIDC reporting purposes;
• Tracking Third Circuit attorney assignments for planning and MIDC reporting purposes;
• Communicating with assigned counsel about requirements of MIDC standards and IDSD procedures;
• Reviewing and processing appointment of counsel requests;
• Tracking and verifying MIDC Standard 2 initial client interview in order to evaluate local system's compliance with approved standard;
• Performing data entry functions and generating reports and tracking of statistical data;
• Preparing reports, form letters, notices and other correspondence and generating documents;
• Providing information and assistance to IDSD personnel, judges and court staff, attorneys, and defendants;
• Able to maintain a high level of confidentiality and professionalism;
• Demonstrable regular and predictable attendance, including attendance at required meetings and;
• Other duties as assigned.

ELIGIBLE PERSONS

At the time of application, eligible persons must have:

• An Associate's Degree in criminal justice, public administration, business, accounting or a degree in a related field Certification as a Paralegal, or Legal Assistant; AND
• Three (3) or more years of experience in a law office, court or other legal setting. Prior experience in the criminal justice system, knowledge of MIDC Standards, Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN), Tyler Technology products (Odyssey), and JIS is preferred; OR
• A high school diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.) and five years of specialized experience may be substituted in lieu of the Associates degree or certification.

Specialized Experience: progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience that is in, or closely related to, the work of the position and which has demonstrated the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and involves the routine use of automated software and keyboarding for word processing, data entry, and report generation.

Wayne County offers a competitive total compensation package and excellent employee benefits.

Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Please include cover letter, resume and salary requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Wayne County provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to: recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

For information regarding the Department of Justice - EEO Utilization Report, please visit https://www.waynecounty.com/departments/phr/legal-postings.aspx.

Accommodations: If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact the Wayne County Department of Personnel/Human Resources at 313-224-5901 or via email at hrexam@waynecounty.com. Hearing or speech impaired persons using TDD's or similar devices may contact the Michigan Relay Center, toll free at (800) 649-3777 or 711 to communicate directly with the Department of Personnel/Human Resources during regular working hours.

Salary : $47,868 - $76,284