WHO WE ARE

Wayne County's Indigent Defense Services Department (IDSD) 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. IDSD launched in August of 2020 with the hiring of its Director. IDSD is state funded through a grant from the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC). IDSD's Defender Support Unit (DSU) launched in 2023 and assists managed assigned counsel by providing services aimed at decreasing reliance on incarceration, increasing advocacy for indigent clients, and improving collaboration between criminal justice stakeholders and social service providers.

DESCRIPTION OF MAJOR JOB DUTIES

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, service voucher review, and legal research.

Required Tasks

• Major Tasks
• Policy and Procedure Development - Assists in the development, training and implementation of IDSD policies and procedures related to the assignment and payment of felony indigent defense counsel, ensuring alignment with Wayne County's MIDC compliance efforts.
• Technology Management - Oversees procedure and uses technology to process attorney assignments, from case initiation to attorney acceptance, and replacements as requests are received from the Third Circuit Court and all district and municipal courts within Wayne County.
• Case Review and Assignment - Reviews and analyzes each indigent person's case to facilitate the assignment of counsel, ensuring urgency and consistency of counsel in assignments, while promoting fiscal economy.
• Counsel Coordination - Manages and coordinates the daily provision of house counsel, police lineup attorneys, spot and emergency counsel.
• Voucher Processing - Conducts preliminary reviews and analyses of attorney vendor vouchers for accuracy and reasonableness.
• Additional Tasks
• 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.
• Developing and implementing 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.
• Supervising assistant assignment coordinators in assignment functions and voucher processing.
• Ensuring accuracy of the roster of attorneys qualified to accept assignments.
• 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 within a case management system or other comparable source.
• Reviewing and verifying service voucher requests.
• Tracking and verifying MIDC Standard 2 initial client interview in order to evaluate local system's compliance with the approved standard.
• Designing protocols for verification of overall Standard compliance by roster attorneys and administering those protocols.
• 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.
• Providing regular and predictable attendance, including attendance at required meetings.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Educational/Experience Requirements

• A Bachelor's Degree in in criminal justice, public administration, business, accounting or a degree in a related field
• A Master's degree is preferred
• Specialized Experience: At least five years of progressively responsible clerical and administrative experience which includes the routine use of automated software and keyboarding for word processing, data entry, and report generation.
• Preferred Experience: Five or more years of experience in a law office, court or other legal setting. Prior experience in the criminal justice system, working knowlege of MIDC Standards, Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN), Tyler Technology products (Odyssey), and JIS is preferred. A Juris Doctorate and applicable experience may be considered.
• Other Requirements: Experience in an electronic environment, utilizing various technologies and software programs, including MS Office Suite and Adobe Acrobat. Experience with relational databases and case management systems is highly desirable.