Public Defense Attorney

Full Job Description

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.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES include but are not limited to the following:

• Provide high-quality legal representation and advocacy for indigent clients, including individuals with limited English proficiency and those with disabilities.
• Handle all stages of representation—from arraignment through trial, and when necessary, sentencing and select post-conviction motions—under DPD’s vertical model of public defense, which ensures continuity of representation by the same attorney throughout the case.
• Conduct plea negotiations, mitigation, and other case resolution strategies.
• Engage in motions practice, including legal research, drafting, and arguing pretrial motions, often in collaboration with expert witnesses.
• Represent and advocate for a diverse client base, including individuals experiencing mental illness, substance use disorder, and/or trauma.
• Develop and implement effective legal strategies that address both legal and client-centered needs, in collaboration with investigators, mitigation specialists, and paralegals.

Please note that specific duties may vary based on case type and division.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school, or a combination of experience, education, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the job duties.

(Current law students should apply through a separate posting designated for those intending to take the bar, available August 2025).

Admission to the Washington State Bar Association or licensure in another state that qualifies you for a license under Admission and Practice Rule (APR) 8(f) House Counsel.

WSBA rules permit lawyers licensed in any other U.S.

state to apply for admission to the Washington bar by motion, and DPD will reimburse successful applicants for the WSBA Application Fee and the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) investigation fee.

Minimum age of 21.

Availability for on-call 24-hour coverage, currently requiring approximately one week per year or two Saturday calendars annually.

Valid Washington State driver's license or the ability to travel throughout King County.

Desired Qualifications:

• At least two years of criminal or civil practice that includes motion and trial practice.
• Proficiency in languages other than English, particularly Spanish.
• Clinical training in public defense.
• Lived experience related to the criminal legal system that resonates with DPD’s clients.

Knowledge Of:

• Performance Guidelines for Criminal Defense Representation approved by the Washington State Bar Association
• Applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures including:
• Washington State Criminal Code.
• Washington State Court Rules of Evidence.
• Washington State Court Rules.
• Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct.
• Performance Guidelines for Juvenile Defense Representation approved by the Washington State Bar Association.
• Performance Guidelines for Attorneys Representing Respondents in Civil Commitment Proceedings approved by the Washington State Bar Association.

Ability To:

• Execute strong trial, research, and writing skills.
• Provide client-centered representation, ensuring frequent and effective communication using the most suitable medium for each client.
• Provide excellent customer service, including communicating with people of diverse backgrounds, who may be experiencing stress, trauma, and/or suffering from mental illness.
• Champion equity and social justice, demonstrating an understanding of systematic racism and its long-term effects. Engage in open and sincere discussions about race and equity in our work.
• Communicate effectively with all internal and external partners, articulating analysis clearly in both spoken and written forms.
• Manage the needs of many clients in a deadline-driven environment.
• Work with a diverse clientele, respecting differences in race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, and national origin.

Maintain all continuing legal education requirements as set forth by the Washington State Bar Association, with special emphasis on criminal defense.

(Note: All DPD employees receive access to more than enough free CLE courses to meet this requirement at no cost, though individual attorneys are responsible for ensuring they remain current with continuing education requirements.)

Additional Information

WHY KING COUNTY?

At King County, our work is guided by our True North and values. Our True North is what we aspire to: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.


King County offers great benefits, to include a pension plan, holidays, transit pass, plus training and education opportunities to promote growth and development. Our focus is to provide our employees with work life balance.



ARE YOU READY TO APPLY?
This opportunity to join the Department of Public Defense (DPD) is open to all qualified applicants. To process your application, please provide the following items:

1. A complete King County application (available at www.kingcounty.gov/jobs) including your bar license information under the “Certificates and Licenses” section.
2. A cover letter no more than two pages summarizing your experience and how you meet the required qualifications, knowledge, and skills for the position.
3. A resume.
4. A legal writing sample, such as a brief, motion, or client letter in.doc,.docx, or .pdf format.
This recruitment will be used to fill current Career Service vacancies and may also fill any vacancies over the next six months.

Selection Process
Materials will be reviewed for qualifications, and the most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in a panel interview process. Applicants may be required to demonstrate their qualifications at the time of the interview and/or skills assessment. Personnel file reviews and references may be conducted for the most competitive candidates prior to a placement decision.

If you have questions, please reach out to our Talent Advisors at dpd-hr@kingcounty.gov.



WORK SCHEDULE AND LOCATION

The Department of Public Defense (DPD) offers a supportive and inclusive workplace. Onsite reporting requirements are based on operational needs. Public Defense Attorneys may be required to travel to various locations throughout King County, including courts, jails, hospitals and treatment centers.

If assigned to the civil commitment unit, you will primarily report to hospitals and treatment centers across the county. Because DPD prioritizes robust client contact and in-person court presence, work locations and reporting requirements may change to meet these priorities.

This position is exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). As an exempt employee, you are expected to work the hours necessary to satisfactorily perform your job and will not be eligible for overtime pay or compensatory time.


Rotation of work location, practice area, and workflow is an essential function of this position and may occur as needed to support operations. You may be assigned to any of our Seattle or Kent offices:

• Dexter Horton Building – 710 Second Avenue, Seattle
• Jefferson Street Building – 1401 East Jefferson, Seattle
• Ninth & Jefferson Building – 908 Jefferson Street, Seattle
• Meeker Street Building – 420 West Harrison Street, Kent
• Kent Professional Center – 124 4th Avenue South, Kent

DPD Policies
DPD Ethical Walls Policies and Procedures will apply to employees, such that if you work or have worked for one of DPD's divisions, you may be ineligible to work in another division.

Outside Work Policy for Attorneys will apply to employees, such that you must receive approval from your supervisor and Managing Attorney before being permitted to engage in outside employment for compensation or volunteer.

Union Membership
This position is proudly represented by Service Employees International Union, Local 925, and interested applicants can review the collective labor agreement for more information. Click here and filter by union code, A8, A8A.

Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:
In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, this salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position. King County offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, life and disability insurance for employees and dependents; retirement and deferred compensation. For additional information, please review the detailed summary of benefits offered by King County.

Position description updated: 10.25.25.