Employment Opportunities - The Law Offices of the Pima County Public Defender


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Specialty Trial Team

In addition to the Felony Trial Teams, the Pima County Public Defender has a Specialty Trial Team that handles all of the cases assigned to represent probationers who are participating in the Deferred Judgment Drug Court, the Post Conviction Drug Court, and Mental Health Court. In addition, the Specialty Team handles certain types of specialized cases such as allegations of Welfare Fraud and Probation Violations. The Specialty Team offers the opportunity for mentoring of less experienced lawyers while giving them a wide variety of courtroom experiences.

Specialty Trial Team Attorneys

Marla Rapaport

Graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law, 1990; admitted to the State Bar of Arizona, 1991; practical experience as a Law Clerk and an Investigative Intern; substantial and extensive experience as a Defense Attorney in the Law Offices of the Pima County Public Defender since 1991; now specializes in representing Drug Court and Mental Health Court clients.

John Levy

Graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law, 1991; admitted to the State Bar of Arizona, 1991; Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Larry Howard, Arizona Court of Appeals, Division II, 1991-92; sole practicioner in civil and criminal litigation, 1992-96; Associate Attorney in a private securities class actions law firm, 1996-97; substantial experience as an Trial Attorney in the Law Offices of the Pima County Public Defender since 1997.

Nancy Coomer

Graduate, University of Utah College of Law, 1985, Staff Writer and Articles Editor, University of Utah Law Review, 1983-1985, Order of the Coif, Law Clerk to the Honorable William D. Browning, 1985-1987, Admitted to the State Bar of Arizona, 1986, Admitted to the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, 1987, Admitted to the 10 th Circuit Court of Appeals, 1990, Admitted to the 9 th Circuit Court of Appeals, 2006, In private practice, with substantial trial and appellate practice, 1987-2006, Joined the office of the Pima County Public Defender in 2006.

Carol Burney

Graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C., 1987; admitted to the State Bar of Virginia, 1988; admitted to the State Bar of Arizona, 1994; Trial Attorney in the Fairfax, Virginia Office of the Public Defender; Cochise County Office of the Public Defender; Office of the Attorney General, Child and Family Protection Division; DNA Legal Services (Legal Aid), Flagstaff, Arizona; Coconino County Office of the Public Defender; and Defense Attorney in the Law Offices of the Pima County Public Defender since 2005.

Ellen Rubin

Graduate of Northwestern University School of Law, 1994; admitted to the State Bar of Illinois, 1994, the United States District Court of Illinois, 1995, and the State Bar of Arizona, 2004; Associate Attorney, private Illinois criminal defense law firm, 1995-97; Assistant Public Defender, Office of the Cook County Public Defender, 1997-2003, Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Deborah Bernini, Pima County Superior Court, 2003-04; Associate Attorney, private Arizona criminal defense law firm, 2004-05; Defense Attorney in the Law Offices of the Pima County Public Defender since 2005.