Administrative Professional 1 - Lima, OH

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney. 

• Our Mission: Advocating. Fighting. Helping. 
• Our Vision: A Fair Justice System. 
• Our Values: Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community. 

We are committed to building a work environment where all team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public in our pursuit of fairness and justice for all people. 

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This position is a Project position funded through June 30, 2027 as part of our Northwest Regional Hub project in Lima, Ohio, serving Allen, Hardin and Putnam Counties. 

The Northwest Regional Hub (NWRH) provides criminal defense representation in the courts of Allen County, Hardin County, and Putnam County to clients who cannot afford an attorney. As Administrative Professional 1, you will play a key role in client representation by providing secretarial and clerical assistance to attorneys. Daily tasks include opening client files, gathering indigency applications from potential clients at the courts, entering court dates, court filing, distributing discovery materials, and preparing mail. You will support a group of attorneys, as assigned, and you will also work as a team with other administrative professionals to support all attorneys headquartered in the NWRH. You will work under the supervision of the office Program Administrator and collaborate with the core support staff team to achieve the common goal of meeting court deadlines and providing quality client service.

Experience working in a busy office is ideal, and knowledge of court filing procedures and the ability to prepare elementary legal documents is preferred but not required. Applicants must be capable of complying with detailed procedures, meeting deadlines in a busy office environment, and be comfortable working with clients and family members that are facing difficult situations. 

The duties of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

Document Preparation & Court Filing

• Transcribe, format and /or assist in formatting, type, and proofread standard documents and/or documents requiring use of legal terminology that comply with court standards (e.g., Motion to Suppress Evidence, Motion for Discovery, Change of Venue, Entry of Appearance, Entry for Continuance, Notice of Appeal, Motion for Extension of Time, business letters from agency assigned attorney to prosecuting attorneys, clerks of court, court investigators, and other defense attorneys).
• Proofread final material for accuracy and completeness.
• Download, distribute, and file discovery materials.
• Deliver legal documents to various courts and offices.
• Act as liaison between attorneys and courts.
• Perform conflict checks.
• Enter case information and court dates into web-based case management system.

 Attorney & Office Support

• Operate standard office equipment (e.g., personal computer, scanner, photocopier, postage meter, and fax machine).
• Convey messages as directed by supervisor or attorneys.
• Keep attorneys abreast of hearings and court filing deadlines.
• Screen calls and visitors for attorneys and other personnel.
• Sort and distribute mail.
• Prepare outgoing mail.
• Cover other core duties during staffing shortages, as assigned. The Administrative Professional 1 Position is assigned to the State of Ohio’s OCSEA Pay Schedule, Pay Range 27, presented below in table format. Starting pay will be at Step 1 unless required by contract/legislation; candidates with exceptional qualifications may be considered for higher starting pay. Our steps give a standard path for earnings growth: you move to the next step after 120 days and annually thereafter. We typically have fiscal year Cost of Living Adjustments as well.

Fy 26

Rate Type

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Hourly

$21.93

$22.60

$22.96

$23.56

$24.16

$24.86

$25.77

Annual

$45,614

$47,008

$47,757

$49,005

$50,253

$51,709

$53,602

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at 614-466-5394 or HCM@opd.ohio.gov

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

1 yr. trg. or 1 yr. exp. in secretarial science or business office applications. For positions requiring technical terminology, applicants must also have 6 mos. trg. or 6 mos. exp. in relevant technical terminology. 

-Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications For Employment noted above 

Job Skills: Administrative Support/Services; Attention to Detail; Confidentiality; Flexibility; Organizing and Planning; Time Management

Intentional omission of relevant information, falsification, or misrepresentation of information on the application will disqualify the applicant. In addition, such intentional acts are grounds for immediate termination of an employee. 

Final candidates selected for this position will be required to undergo a drug test. An applicant with a positive test result will not be offered employment. Final candidates selected for this position will also be required to undergo a criminal background check and state income tax check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration. 

This position serves at the pleasure and discretion of the State Public Defender and will be given an unclassified status.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.