DEPUTY PUBLIC DEFENDER 2 (&35)
Career Family: DEPUTY PUBLIC DEFENDER
Deputy Public Defender 2 is an unclassified role, so it is appointed at the discretion of the hiring authority and does not carry the usual exam-and-tenure track.
This is where the Deputy Public Defender ladder starts, one grade under Deputy Public Defender 1, whose band tops out about $21,754 higher. The minimum is a doctoral degree and 3 years of relevant experience. The FY 2027 range lands between $126,854 and $187,691, and state payroll currently lists about 47 people in the title, most of them at Office of the Public Defender.
How to apply
This title is not filled by examination — agencies appoint directly.
See every real route in, and where to apply. One agency employs it. We don't track live vacancies.
See where to apply for this title →Who employs this title
Deputy Public Defender 2 appears on the State payroll at one department, Office of Public Defender.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Office of Public Defender | 47 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Pay ladder: Deputy Public Defender series
- Deputy Public Defender 2 — $126,854 – $187,691 (this title)
- Deputy Public Defender 1 — $146,038 – $209,444
Promoting to Deputy Public Defender 1 raises the top of the band by about $21,754. Its top salary lands around the 99th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY 2027 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 47 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $163,710. The agencies employing the most are:
- Office of the Public Defender (47)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Assists the Deputy Public Defender, Office of the Public Defender, Department of Public Advocate, in the performance of all professional duties necessary to the adequate representation of indigent persons formally accused of offenses of an indictable nature and juvenile offenses; does related work as required.
Examples of work
- Assists the Deputy Public Defender in the following:
- Supervises the administrative operations of a regional trial office(s) or the Appellate Section.
- Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for employee evaluations and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees.
- Does research and analysis on questions of law, procedure and evidence.
- Performs investigation and interviewing of client and witnesses, including consultation with all other governmental agencies involved.
- Prepares legal pleadings, motions, briefs and related documents.
- Does the actual preparation of the client in court at the pre-trial state, trial stage, post conviction proceedings and appellate proceedings.
- Administratively assists in the referral of matters coming within the jurisdiction of the Office of the Public Defender for handling within the regional trial office and assists in the referral of matters to counsel designated by the Public Defender to serve on an individual case basis.
- Assists in the training and supervision of investigative and clerical personnel employed in the regional trail office(s).
- Investigates the property and resources of clients for the purposes of determining their indigency.
- Prepares correspondence in connection with the representation of the client.
- Assists in compiling information for and in preparing statistical reports, regional reports and case reports.
- May be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office or related units.
Education
Graduation from an accredited law school with a Bachelor of Laws Degree or Juris Doctorate Degree, where applicable.
Experience
Three (3) years of experience as a practicing attorney or equivalent skills.
License
.
Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Ability to supervise and instruct Assistant Deputies and volunteer trial attorneys in the functioning of a regional trial office(s) or in the Appellate Section.
- Ability to prepare correspondence.
- Ability to interview clients and analyze the factual content pertaining to charges brought against them.
- Ability to understand and analyze criminal law procedure and evidence.
- Ability to prepare pleas motions and legal briefs pertaining to clients' cases.
- Ability to engage actually in the trial of clients' cases.
- Ability to supervise the investigation of clients' cases.
- Ability to supervise the investigation of clients' indigency status.
- Ability to prepare accurate and comprehensive case reports.
- Ability to analyze the technical and medical issues presented by clients's cases, such as ballistics fingerprinting, insanity, handwriting analysis, etc.
- Ability to prepare all administrative records required by the Office of the Public Defender in connection with clients's cases.
- Ability to learn and utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.