Public Defender 3 (3280 & 26985)

Salary : $73,278.40 - $140,441.60 Annually
Location : Albuquerque, NM
Job Type: Career Appointment, Full-Time
Job Number: 3280 & 26985
Unit: 2nd Dist-Bern-ABQ-Felony Roll
Division: 2nd Dist-Bern-ABQ-Felony Roll
Opening Date: 09/29/2026
Closing Date: 10/18/2026 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

***This position qualifies for an additional hourly pay differential of $0.76 hourly / $1,580.80 annually.

Hourly pay differential reflects a retention pay incentive, as applicable to the position advertised.***

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.
Do you have what it takes to be a Public Defender?

Are you motivated by a desire to help those who society has largely abandoned? Do you enjoy the role of advocating for the underdog?

The New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender is excited to announce opportunities to join our team and be on the front lines of criminal justice reform!

We are growing our Albuquerque Felony team and have multiple job opportunities in this beautiful city.

Why consider moving to Albuquerque? How about the beautiful landscape and 310 days of sunshine each year! Moving here means getting four seasons!

Living in Albuquerque means beautiful sunsets, stunning lights and scenic landscaping.
Lots of yearly festivals and cultural events such as the world's largest International Balloon Fiesta held every October, the New Mexico State Fair in September, and the San Felipe Fiesta held in Old Town every year in late spring.
And let's not forget about the Albuquerque hot spots like Old Town, Downtown, Westside, Balloon Fiesta Park, the Sandia Peak Tramway!
Sparked your interest yet?

If you'd like to learn more about living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, :

Here's what the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender is looking for:

Attorneys that are committed to advocating on behalf of indigent clients.

Attorneys interested in positively impacting the lives of clients through holistic representation.

Attorneys that have the ability to stand up for a client, and stand up to "the system."

Attorneys who are excited about the opportunity to gain vast amounts of courtroom and litigation experience, familiarity with state statutes and working knowledge of the rules of evidence and trial practice.
Public Defender 3

Average PD3 Pay: $46.38/hour $96,470.40/annually
If you have any questions, you can contact hiring Managing Attorney Julpa Davé at

Essential Functions

• Attorneys at this level should be able to represent clients in all misdemeanors or juvenile cases and low to medium level felonies with limited supervision.
• Provides guidance and mentoring to lower levels Attorneys and Law Clerks.
• Works under the direction and guidance provided by higher level Attorneys and/or Managing Attorney.
• 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.
• Meet with clients, file and argue motions, investigate cases, interview witnesses, proceed to trial and file any necessary appeals.
• Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge derived from investigation and case law to determine whether a client should enter into a plea or go to trial.
• The Appellate Division attorneys of this level interview clients and trial counsel, reviews the record and researches to support arguments that errors have been made by the lower courts.
• 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.

Note: An Employee with this classification may be required to perform at a PD3 level or duties of a lower classification without additional compensation. Employee will be required to show competence in all levels PD2 through PD3.
Minimum Qualifications

Current licensure as an attorney issued by the New Mexico Supreme Court or eligible for limited license issued by New Mexico Supreme Court and one (1) year of experience as a practicing attorney.
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

PD3 Q:1
Which of the following do you possess:

• Current licensure as an attorney by the Supreme Court of New Mexico and at least one (1) year of experience as a practicing attorney.
• Current license in good standing from another state and eligible to apply for public employee limited license pursuant to Rule 15-304 NMRA and at least one (1) year of experience as a practicing attorney.
• None of the above

02

PD3 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 lopd-hr@lopdnm.us. 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

PD3 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 lopd-hr@lopdnm.us with the attachments and your contact information. Or, if selected for an interview, you should bring the documents to your interview.
04

PD3 Q:4
How many total years of experience in Criminal Litigation experience 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 lopd-hr@lopdnm.us. 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

PD3 Q:5Do you have experience preparing and arguing motions?

• Yes
• No

06

PD3 Q:6
Do you have trial experience as a public defender?

• 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

PD3 Q:8
Do you have experience representing clients charged with felony offenses?

• 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

PD3 Q:10
Do you have experience working in a fast-paced, high case volume court environment?

• Yes
• No

11

PD3 Q:11
Do you have experience working with marginalized populations such as indigent individuals, immigrants, and those living in homelessness or with mental health and/or s