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Assistant public defender skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical assistant public defender skills. We ranked the top skills for assistant public defenders based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.2% of assistant public defender resumes contained appeals as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an assistant public defender needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 assistant public defender skills for your resume and career

1. Appeals

Here's how assistant public defenders use appeals:

Represented indigent criminal defendants in direct appeals to the Pennsylvania Superior and Supreme Courts.
Managed and directed all phases of criminal litigation from initial consultation through appeals process.

2. Litigation

Here's how assistant public defenders use litigation:

Prepared criminal traffic, misdemeanor, and felony cases for litigation or negotiation through thorough investigation and interviewing.
Interviewed clients and conduct investigations of alleged crime scenes and related matters in preparation for litigation.

3. Legal Research

Here's how assistant public defenders use legal research:

Performed legal research and presented arguments in misdemeanor trials, felony preliminary hearings, and probation hearings for indigent criminal defendants.
Conducted extensive legal research and investigated each assigned case, including interviewing clients and deposing witnesses and victims.

4. Criminal Defense

Here's how assistant public defenders use criminal defense:

Provided criminal defense representation to indigent individuals charged with serious felonies and misdemeanors.
Provided indigent criminal defense in Misdemeanor/DUI, Juvenile, and Felony divisions.

5. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how assistant public defenders use mental health:

Secured treatment and educational options for clients coping with drug and alcohol dependency, mental health, and developmental disabilities
Represent clients with mental health issues from determination of competency and/or sanity through review process to ultimate disposition.

6. Criminal Law

Here's how assistant public defenders use criminal law:

Participated in regular training on juvenile and criminal law.
Represented indigent clients in matters of criminal law

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7. Criminal Cases

A criminal case is a court proceeding in which a person is charged with committing a crime against the state or the community. Such individuals are brought for trials, to decide they are guilty or not. There are two kinds of criminal cases misdemeanors and felonies. A misdemeanor is a crime on a lower level like traffic offenses or minor assaults. While felonies are offenses on a higher level.

Here's how assistant public defenders use criminal cases:

Represented defendant citizens and residents upon court appointment in circuit and general sessions court criminal cases.
Represented defendants at preliminary hearings in criminal cases ranging from second degree misdemeanors to felonies.

8. Post-Trial Motions

Here's how assistant public defenders use post-trial motions:

Represent indigent clients in criminal proceedings, specifically pre-trial motions, trial, and post-trial motions courts.
Draft and file various pre-trial and post-trial motions.

9. Public Defenders

Here's how assistant public defenders use public defenders:

Provided guidance to public defenders regarding trial strategy and issue preservation.
Supervised several Assistant Public Defenders based on courtroom assignments.

10. District Court

Here's how assistant public defenders use district court:

Represent individuals charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses at the District Court level of criminal proceedings in Montgomery County.
Supervised felony attorneys practicing in Juvenile and Domestic Relations General District Court.

11. Legal Issues

Here's how assistant public defenders use legal issues:

Supervised and trained attorneys and interns for trial as well as client interaction and research of all legal issues for trial.
Case management - high volume caseload * Researching legal issues * Drafting motions * Trial advocacy * Mentoring new attorneys

12. Bench Trials

Here's how assistant public defenders use bench trials:

Managed average case load of 150 clients; served as first chair to numerous misdemeanor and felony jury and bench trials.
Represented hundreds of indigent clients in felony criminal matters, misdemeanors, and juvenile delinquency cases in jury and bench trials.

13. Felony Offenses

Here's how assistant public defenders use felony offenses:

Assist the Chief Public Defender represent indigent criminal defendants accused of serious felony offenses.
Represented indigent clients charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses.

14. Indigent Clients

Here's how assistant public defenders use indigent clients:

Represented legal interests of indigent clients in every aspect of criminal proceedings including Juvenile, Traffic, Misdemeanors and Felonies.
Represented indigent clients charged with misdemeanor and felony criminal offenses in general district and circuit courts.

15. Child Abuse

When a child who is under 18 is mistreated by an adult, it is considered child abuse. There are many forms of intentional harm and mistreatment for example physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, medical abuse, and neglect in providing adequate basic life necessities.

Here's how assistant public defenders use child abuse:

Assist in drafting evaluation measures for the legislative mandate Alternative Response to child abuse and neglect cases for implementation in 2013.
Defend parents against allegations of child abuse and neglect, and termination of parental rights.

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List of assistant public defender skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an assistant public defender resume and required skills for an assistant public defender to have include:

Appeals
Litigation
Legal Research
Criminal Defense
Mental Health
Criminal Law
Criminal Cases
Post-Trial Motions
Public Defenders
District Court
Legal Issues
Bench Trials
Felony Offenses
Indigent Clients
Child Abuse
Misdemeanor Offenses
Circuit Court

Felony Cases
Indigent Defendants
Law Enforcement
Trial Counsel
Legal Representation
Misdemeanor Cases
Juvenile Delinquency
Non-Jury Trials
Oral Arguments
DUI
Client Interviews
Court Appearances
Criminal Charges
Trial Strategy
Motion Practice
Evidentiary Hearings
Juvenile Court

Criminal Proceedings
Criminal Defendants
Pre-Trial Conferences
Pre-Trial Motions
Appellate Courts
County Court
Domestic Violence
Motion Hearings
Plea Negotiations
Family Court
Jury Selection
Cross-Examination
Court Proceedings
Court Hearings
Subpoenas

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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