Administrative Assistant

About the Colorado State Public Defender:

Colorado’s Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD) maintains a reputation as one of the top organizations in the nation specializing in the delivery of indigent criminal defense. We operate as an independent agency within the Judicial Branch of Colorado State Government with nearly 1,000 dedicated employees assigned to twenty-one Regional Trial Offices, a centralized Appellate Division, and a centralized Administrative Office. The mission of OSPD is to defend and protect the rights, liberties and dignity of those accused of crimes who cannot afford to retain counsel. We do so by providing constitutionally and statutorily mandated representation that is effective, zealous, inspired and compassionate. We seek to hire professionals who are dedicated to furthering our mission and demonstrate compassion in their service to our clients. We are a fast paced, team-oriented environment, where self-motivation and a personal commitment to high performance are important attributes for success.

Benefits of Working for the OSPD:

• Medical Insurance
• Basic Vision Insurance - included with medical plans
• Dental Insurance
• State Paid Life Insurance
• State Paid Short-Term Disability 
• FSA – Healthcare and Dependent Care
• HSA Plan with Employer Contribution 
• Generous Paid Time Off & Sick Leave
• Flexible Schedules
• 11 paid holidays
• Access to Mental Health and Well-Being Resources 
• Colorado PERA
• 401(k) and 457 Supplemental Retirement Plans

For more information on benefits please visit https://dhr.colorado.gov/state-employees/state-of-colorado-employee-benefits. For additional information on PERA visit  www.copera.org.

Additional information about the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender can be found at: http://www.coloradodefenders.us/

Position Purpose and Objectives/Definition of Work:

We are recruiting to fill an Administrative Assistant position in the Colorado State Public Defender’s Appellate Division located in Denver. This is a full-time, entry-level Administrative Assistant position responsible for performing routine clerical and receptionist duties of a legal nature following established office procedures. Tasks are performed under direct guidance of an Office Manager or Supervisor while learning office and court procedures and case file management systems. Individuals must have strong interpersonal skills in order to successfully work with colleagues and court staff and to provide patient and compassionate service to indigent people charged with criminal offenses. Individuals require the ability to multitask and perform tasks in a timely manner with accuracy and attention to detail. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The Colorado State Public Defender's Appellate Division is seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Attorney Support Administrative Assistant to provide administrative support to appellate attorneys. This full-time position plays a critical role in ensuring the accurate preparation, review, filing, and management of appellate case materials.

The ideal candidate will possess exceptional proofreading, organizational, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a deadline-driven legal environment. This position requires a high degree of accuracy, attention to detail, and professionalism while supporting attorneys handling complex criminal appeals. Individuals must be able to work collaboratively with attorneys, court personnel, and colleagues while maintaining confidentiality and ensuring compliance with court procedures and filing requirements.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Preparing, formatting, proofreading, and finalizing appellate briefs, motions, petitions, correspondence, and other legal documents;
• Reviewing legal filings for grammatical accuracy, formatting compliance, citation consistency, and adherence to court rules;
• Creating tables of contents, tables of authorities, appendices, and other filing components required by appellate courts;
• Managing attorney caseloads and tracking filing deadlines, court orders, and case-related correspondence;
• Preparing and electronically filing documents through Colorado Courts E-Filing and other court filing systems;
• Processing, scanning, organizing, and distributing incoming and outgoing legal correspondence and court filings;
• Maintaining electronic records and ensuring documents are accurately stored and accessible;
• Scanning and copying of letters and pleadings;
• Using Colorado Courts E-Filing and Colorado Courts Data Access systems;
• Help answer incoming office calls;
• Communicating with various outside agencies and clients as requested by attorneys;
• Opening and closing cases;
• Miscellaneous office tasks as requested.