Join Our Team
TIDC funds, oversees, and improves Texas public defense. Here is some of the work we do:
Last year, TIDC awarded over $35 million in public defense funding, added public defender offices in 10 counties, monitored public defense in 32 counties, trained over 3,000 people, launched a new data portal, and released a major publication on public defender offices. Learn more at tidc.texas.gov.
Protecting the right to counsel, improving public defense.
Excellent representation for all.
Program Specialist IV-VI (Sr-Jr Policy Analyst)
Position Description
As a TIDC policy analyst, you are part of a team that improves Texas public defense through court observation, interviews, record review, investigation, and writing. When you find problems with a public defense system, you recommend changes and work with judges, lawyers, court personnel, and county officials to create better public defense systems and comply with the Fair Defense Act.
In addition to these core duties, policy analysts have some flexibility to work on other TIDC projects, including presentations, publications, public defender office planning, and more.
Program Specialist IV (Policy Analyst): You provide highly complex (senior-level) assistance to staff, government agencies, community organizations, and the public. You work under limited supervision, with moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. You may train others.
Program Specialist V and VI (Senior Policy Analyst): You perform advanced (senior-level) consultative services and technical assistance work. Work involves planning, developing, and implementing a major agency program and providing consultative services and technical assistance to program staff, government agencies, community organizations, and the public. You will work under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. You will interpret laws and lead policy monitoring report drafting.
Program Specialist VI (Senior Policy Analyst)
Position Description
This position is for one year, with the possibility of extension, depending on need and available funding.
As the TIDC Operation Lone Star Senior Policy Analyst, you will help ensure timely, quality indigent defense representation in Operation Lone Star (OLS) cases. You will coordinate with multiple state agencies, county agencies, and nonprofits for operations planning and implementation. You will share data, knowledge, and challenges related to OLS. You will update TIDC staff and board members regarding the number and location of OLS arrests, OLS-related appointment rates, indigent defense provider statuses, caseloads, systems for attorney-client communication, and case dispositions. You will help identify and address obstacles to effective, efficient representation in OLS cases.
You will be responsible for the policy work on TIDC’s planning, implementation, oversight, and review of the provision of counsel to individuals arrested under Operation Lone Star, including performing advanced (senior-level) consultative services and technical assistance work. Work involves planning, developing, and implementing this major agency program and providing consultative services and technical assistance to program staff, government agencies, community organizations, and the public. You will work under minimal supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.
Operation Lone Star
Responding to a rise in illegal immigration, Governor Abbott launched Operation Lone Star (OLS) in March 2021. In May, the Governor declared a disaster area that now includes 43 border counties. The Governor also deployed over 1,000 Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers to the border, directing them to “use available resources to enforce all applicable federal and state laws to prevent the criminal activity along the border, including criminal trespassing, smuggling, and human trafficking, and to assist Texas counties in their efforts to address those criminal activities.”
DPS now averages 30 to 40 OLS arrests per day, mostly for criminal trespass. To date, over 1,000 persons have been arrested in Val Verde and Kinney Counties, with a smaller number of OLS arrests in surrounding counties. The number of arrests may rise to 200 per day in the coming months. Most arrestees are indigent and are held in the Briscoe or Segovia Units of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). The Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) has designated the Lubbock Private Defender Office (LPDO) as the indigent defense hub for Operation Lone Star. The candidate will work closely with TIDC and LPDO staff.
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