Salary : $78,499.20 - $125,382.40 Annually
Location : Aztec, NM
Job Type: Career Appointment, Full-Time
Job Number: 48963
Unit: 11th Dist-SanJuan-Aztec-Team Rollup
Division: 11th Dist-SanJuan-Aztec-TeamRo
Opening Date: 09/01/2026
Closing Date: 10/4/2026 11:59 PM Mountain

Objectives Summary
The objective summary of this job classification is to provide professional legal services for the Law Offices of the Public Defender in representing juvenile and adult indigent clients in areas of litigation, appeal, counsel, research and analysis.

Pay Information

The Law Offices of the Public Defender is proud to announce a recent increase to the starting pay for the Public Defender 2 (PD2) classification to $37.74/hourly for selected candidates. This investment reflects our commitment to attracting top-tier advocacy talent.
***This position qualifies for an additional hourly pay differential of $3.55 hourly / $7,384.00 annually.

Hourly pay differential reflects geographical and retention pay incentives, as applicable to the position advertised.***
For more information about living in Aztec, New Mexico,

Our department offers flexible work opportunities, including teleworking (a.k.a. working from home) and work schedules outside the typical 8 am to 5 pm schedule. Applicants selected for a position are encouraged to discuss these options with the hiring manager early in the hiring process to ensure the specifics of any terms and conditions of an approved flexible work arrangement are clearly understood

Essential Functions
Public Defender (PD2)

• Attorneys at this level may handle a variety of cases, including misdemeanor, juvenile, youthful offender or appellate cases.
• May assist higher level Attorneys with complex cases.
• Advise and counsel clients regarding case strategy and possible outcomes.
• Work is performed under the direction, guidance and supervision from more experienced colleagues and supervisor/manager.
• Will conduct plea bargaining, when appropriate, with District Attorneys and other parties to establish agreements to resolve cases.
• Will attend seminars, training classes and review current professional literature to maintain and develop professional skills and knowledge.
• Drafts/reviews, proposes and prepares reports and legal documents.
• Performs related and other duties as assigned.

Other Duties:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Minimum Qualifications
License to practice law in New Mexico, or eligible for a limited license issued by NM Supreme Court.

Employment Requirements
Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.

Employment eligibility to work with the Law Offices of the Public Defender (LOPD) in the U.S. is required. We are not able to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa.
Collective Bargaining: This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement and all terms/conditions of that agreement apply and must be adhered to.
Default FLSA: Exempt: (including Managers/Supervisors, Executive, Administrative, Professional Exempt Status): In accordance with DOL FLSA and LOPD NMAC and LOPD's Compensation Agreement that is signed upon hire during onboarding, classifications identified as Exempt may be compensated for all authorized hours worked over 80 hours in a pay period. These classifications are eligible for compensatory time (paid time off accrued) at an even (1:1) rate if they request to work extra hours in advance and get approval from their supervisor. These classifications are not eligible for cash payments for extra hours worked. Compensatory time may be paid-out upon leaving the department depending on budget availability.
Geographic Pay Differential: This position may qualify for Geographic Pay Differential. Please refer to the , Geographic Differential, for more information.

This job advertisement may be used to fill multiple vacancies.
Preference may be given to multilingual applicants fluent in English and other languages.
The State's General Services Department Risk Management Division, Employee Benefits Bureau (EBB), is responsible for the procurement and oversight of employee benefits - including Medical, Pharmacy, Dental, Vision, Short & Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance. The State's Group Benefits Plan also offers COBRA, Flexible Spending Account Programs, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Erisa Administrative Services, Inc. (Erisa) is the State's Third Party Administrator. They provide benefits administration to all plan participants, and offer knowledgeable staff to answer your questions. To learn more about the benefits available please

In addition to the benefits listed above, the Law Offices of The Public Defender offers a retirement plan and a medical program for retirees. For more information regarding the plan you can visit the following websites:
Total Compensation Package

As an employee of the Law Offices of the Public Defender (LOPD), you receive regular pay for your services. The other part of your total compensation is the value of the benefits LOPD makes available to you and, if applicable, your family. The Total Compensation Estimator is for illustrative purposes only and provides benefits-eligible employees an estimate of their total compensation based on selected options from the drop-downs in the estimator.

• Please to download the Total Compensation Estimator on our , Join Our Team section.

This estimator is not a legal document. All benefits are governed by the actual benefit plans, which have precedence over the information reported in this calculator. Rates are not guaranteed and may change annually based on legislative decisions. If you have any questions about this estimator, don't hesitate to get in touch with Human Resources at
01

PD2 Q:1
Which of the following do you possess:

• Current licensure as an attorney by the Supreme Court of New Mexico.
• Current license in good standing from another state and eligible to apply for public employee limited license pursuant to Rule 15-304 NMRA.
• None of the above

02

PD2 Q:2How many total years of experience as a practicing attorney do you have documented in the Work Experience section of your application?PLEASE NOTE: If the years of experience that you indicate below cannot be found in the Work Experience section of this application, your application may not be eligible for further consideration. It is recommended that you attach documents that support your work experience at this time. If you are attempting to attach documents, but are unable to, you should email [email protected]. with the documents and your contact information. Or, if selected for an interview, you should bring the documents to your interview.

• 15+ years of experience
• 14 years of experience
• 13 years of experience
• 12 years of experience
• 11 years of experience
• 10 years of experience
• 9 years of experience
• 8 years of experience
• 7 years of experience
• 6 years of experience
• 5 years of experience
• 4 years of experience
• 3 years of experience
• 2 years of experience
• 1 year of experience
• Less than 1 year of experience
• None

03

PD2 Q:3
Please provide licensure details below for all states in which you are licensed or have been licensed to practice law including license number, location issued, expiration date and status.PLEASE NOTE: if this information is not provided, your application may not be recognized as being qualified for this position. It is recommended that you attach documents that support your licensure details (as requested above) at this time. If you are attempting to attach the documents to support the details of your licensure, but are unable to, you should email [email protected] with the attachments and your contact information. Or, if selected for an interview, you should bring the documents to your interview.
04

PD2 Q:4
Do you have experience working as an Magistrate or Criminal Litigation Attorney? PLEASE NOTE: If the years of experience that you indicate below cannot be found in the Work Experience section of this application, your application may not be eligible for further consideration. It is recommended that you attach documents that support your work experience at this time. If you are attempting to attach documents, but are unable to, you should email [email protected]. with the documents and your contact information. Or, if selected for an interview, you should bring the documents to your interview.)

• 15+ years of experience
• 14 years of experience
• 13 years of experience
• 12 years of experience
• 11 years of experience
• 10 years of experience
• 9 years of experience
• 8 years of experience
• 7 years of experience
• 6 years of experience
• 5 years of experience
• 4 years of experience
• 3 years of experience
• 2 years of experience
• 1 year of experience
• Less than 1 year of experience
• None

05

PD2 Q:5Do you have experience preparing and arguing motions?

• Yes
• No

06

PD2 Q:6
Do you have additional legal related experience (such as internship, or law clerk experience)?

• Yes
• No

07

Briefly describe when and how you obtained this experience. Please note if you answered "No" to the previous question, type "n/a" as your response to this question.
08

PD2 Q:8
Do you have experience working with marginalized populations such as indigent individuals, immigrants, and those living in homelessness or with mental health and/or substance abuse issues?

• Yes
• No

09

Briefly describe when and how you obtained this experience. Please note if you answered "No" to the previous question, type "n/a" as your response to this question.
10

Please choose the level that best describes your fluency in any language(s) other than English. I understand that I may be asked to certify my language proficiency upon hire and that I may be required to provide translation services if selected for this job.

• Advanced
• Intermediate
• Beginner
• Not Familiar

11

If you chose Beginner or above in the previous question, please identify in the text box what language(s) you are fluent in. Note: If you selected Not Familiar in the previous question please write, N/A in the text box below.
12

PD2 Q:12 For current State of New Mexico employees: I understand that the Law Offices of the Public Defender will only accept up to 40 hours of annual leave and all sick leave. Furthermore, upon transfer, I will begin a new probationary period regardless of a break in service from my current state agency.

• I Understand

13

PD2 Q:13I understand that my response to the question regarding years of experience as a practicing attorney will be confirmed. I have included my related work experience in the Work Experience Section of my application with a detailed description of my related duties. If I am attempting to attach documents, but unable to, I should email [email protected]. with the documents and my contact information. Or if selected for an interview, I may bring the documents to my interview.

• I Understand

Required Question