Grand County

Secondary Conflict Public Defender Services Roster - RFP

Grand County is currently accepting resumes from qualified attorneys who are interested in providing indigent conflict public defender services in various courts in the Seventh Judicial District including District, Drug, Juvenile and Justice Courts. 

The Secondary Conflict Public Defender Attorney pool is a roster of attorneys or firms interested in providing legal defense services to indigent defendants who cannot be represented by any one of the contracted public defenders due to a legal conflict of interest.  Inclusion in the pool is not a guarantee of employment.   Cases will be assigned on an individual basis.

Duties & Responsibilities 

Selected attorneys provide indigent defense services in the event the Public Defender, Parental Defender, and/or the Conflict Public Defender have a legal conflict. Upon assignment by the court, the attorney or firm will act as court-appointed counsel to indigent adults and juveniles charged with crimes, and abuse and neglect matters.

Legal service and representation duties include but are not limited to the following:

1. Serves as court-appointed counsel for indigent criminal defendants and other persons in cases who are entitled by law to assistance of counsel as defined in the Indigent Defense Act further defined in Utah Code Annotated 78B-22;
2. Prepares and appears with clients at all pre-trial and trial proceedings and hearings;
3. Conducts investigations; obtains formal and informal discovery; interviews clients to evaluate evidence and assess strength of case; develops a theory of the case; research legal issues, prepares, files, analyzes charging documents, police reports and discovery material and evidence for assigned criminal cases; argues appropriate motions; and negotiates settlements or changes of plea;
4. Develops overall defense strategies and prepares trial briefs and conducts all phases of trial in court, including jury trials;
5. Recommends bond and participates in bond hearings after appointment, reviews petitions for probation revocations and participates in sentencing hearings; prepares motions for a new trial if necessary;
6. Maintains adequate and proper records of the representation for each assigned indigent defendant; and
7. Keeps current with the statutes, rules, and cases regarding both procedural and substantive legal issues.

Applicants must be licensed to practice law in the state of Utah and be a member in good

standing with the Utah State Bar Association.

Application Requirements & Submission

Application Content

1. Submissions should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straight forward, concise description of provider capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the request. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.  
2. All submissions must include the following:
   1. The respondent’s resume or Curriculum Vitae;
   2. A letter of interest that includes:

1. The attorney’s name;
2.  A statement summarizing the attorney’s experience including the attorney practice area(s);
3. The court assignments the attorney is willing and able to provide representation for (District Court, Juvenile Court and/or Justice Court);
4. Days and hours of availability; and
5. References.

3. Fee proposal that is an hourly rate. An alternative fee proposal that is charged per case may also be submitted with the hourly rate proposal. Actual payment terms are subject to negotiation. 

Please email resumes and letters of interest to Mallory Nassau, Grand County Commission Administrator, . 

For technical inquiries, please contact Mallory Nassau, , (435) 259-1347.