Public Defense Attorney

THIS POSITION IS OPEN FOR CONTINUOUS RECRUITMENT

The department reserves the right to close this position and/or make updates to the position description below as deemed necessary.

The Department of Public Defense (DPD) participates in King County's referral program. In order for the King County represented employee to receive the referral bonus, you must provide their information in supplemental question 3.

The King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) is seeking dedicated Public Defense Attorneys who are passionate about advocating for our clients. Our collaborative approach means that you’ll work alongside skilled investigators, mitigation specialist, paralegals, and other committed support staff, ensuring that we provide exceptional, client-centered representation.
 

DPD is one of the most well-resourced public defense agencies in the first state to adopt new caseload standards for public defenders based on the National Public Defense Workload Study | RAND and approved by the Washington State Bar Association in 2024.

These standards assign greater weight to more serious charges, resulting in lower caseload limits for defenders handling complex or severe offenses. They are designed to ensure that DPD attorneys have the time and capacity to fully investigate and litigate every client’s case. DPD also believes these standards—together with the robust training and support all staff receive—will enable public defenders and legal professionals to build long, sustainable careers providing high-quality representation to some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

While it will take multiple phases to reach full implementation of the revised caseload standards, DPD has already begun Phase I and is committed to full implementation.

As a DPD attorney, you’ll enjoy: 

• Competitive Pay.
• A comprehensive benefits package, including a pension.
• Support from a unionized workplace.
• A chance to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those navigating the criminal and civil legal systems.
• Extensive courtroom and trial experience, supported by a team that includes supervisors, investigators, paralegals, legal assistants, and mitigation specialists.
• Opportunities to work across multiple practice areas, including adult criminal, juvenile, dependency, and involuntary commitment courts.
• Resources to mount a robust defense, including funding for expert witnesses.
• Access to mentoring and high-quality training, both in-house and through national programs.
• Caseloads, among the most sustainable in the country, grounded in a phased case-weight model based on national research.
• Generous vacation and sick leave to support attorney well-being and career sustainability.