King County Public Defender

LMBA; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 218,000 - 266,000; Full time

Job summary

King County Department of Public Defense seeks a Public Defender in Seattle to lead a large, multi-divisional department ensuring high-quality representation for indigent clients. The role requires executive leadership, equity focus, and collaboration with county partners.

The Public Defender is appointed for four-year terms with potential reappointment and a salary of $241,873.10 annually, with relocation support and extensive interaction with county government.

Qualifications

• Seven+ years of experience as an attorney primarily practicing criminal defense, including felonies and misdemeanors, with supervisory/managerial experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee financial, information, and human resources operations.
• Recruit, support, and lead a staff of attorneys, investigators, and support staff providing high-quality representation.
• Advocate for adequate funding to ensure high-quality representation.

Skills

Criminal defense

Leadership

Equity & justice

Stakeholder management

Policy advocacy

Budget management

Job description

About the Department

The King County Department of Public Defense was established in 2013, by voter approval of a charter amendment. Prior to the Department's creation, four nonprofit law firms contracted with the county to provide public defense services. The Department nowhas four divisions, each created from the staff of one of the former firms and led by its own Managing Attorney, who is appointed by and reports to the Public Defender. The department is required under the county charter to foster and promote system improvements, efficiencies, access to justice and equity in the criminal justice system, as well as other duties assigned by ordinance. The Public Defender manages the department. Once nominated by the County Executive and confirmed by the County Council, the Public Defender enjoys operational independence from the political branches of County government pursuant to the charter amendment that created DPD.

The Department’s Mission Statement

The King County Department of Public Defense represents indigent adults and children facing a loss of liberty. Our department is an independent voice that promotes justice and equity for our clients and advocates for their objectives, interests, and dignity.

Advisory Board

The 2013 charter also established an 11-member Public Defense Advisory Board, which advises the department, reviews its proposed budget, advocates for high-quality public defense, and issues an annual report on the state of the county's public defense system.

The Advisory Board also plays a key role in the selection of the Public Defender: After a county-led recruitment process, the board selects and interviews the top candidates and then forwards to the County Executive the names of three candidates the board believes are best able to serve the county as Public Defender.

About the Position

In accordance with King County Code (KCC) 2.60.026 , the Public Defender is appointed by the County Executive, subject to confirmation by the County Council. The term of appointment for this position is aligned with the election cycle of the King County Prosecutor (four-year terms), with removal permitted only for cause.

The Executive may reappoint the Public Defender to additional terms, subject to confirmation by the Council.

The annual salary for this position is $241,873.10.

Job Duties

• Oversee the Department's financial, information, and human resource operations, and, in partnership with the Office of Labor Relations, effectively build and guide relations with labor partners.
• Recruit, support, and lead a staff of attorneys, investigators, mitigation specialists, paralegals, and other administrative staff that provides every client with high-quality representation.
• Advocate within county government, supported by appropriate data, for funding sufficient to provide high-quality representation.
• Ensure the effective operation of an assigned counsel panel able to represent individuals whom the Department's staff are not able to represent.
• Serve as a voice for the concerns of public defenders, their clients, and their clients' communities.
• Work to promote system improvements, especially those that enhance access to justice and equity.

Position Requirements

• The Public Defender must be an attorney admitted to practice law within the United States, in active status and in good standing.
• Applicants must have at least seven years of experience as an attorney primarily practicing criminal defense, including both felonies and misdemeanors, as well as supervisor and managerial experience.
• If not already admitted to practice in the state of Washington, the Public Defender must be admitted within two years after appointment and be an active member of the Washington State Bar Association.
• Demonstrated success in leading large and complex organizations, including the management of senior-level managers.
• Demonstrate commitment and competency in navigating complex, multi-department, agency and government relationships.
• A deep commitment to and experience in upholding and implementing principles of equity and social justice, with a proven ability to integrate these principles into all facets of an agency’s operations.
• Experience working with human resources to support supervisors and staff with hiring, coaching, staff development, and performance management activities in a unionized environment.
• Experience managing programs, overseeing budgets and identifying funding opportunities, ensuring deliverables, managing projects and tasks, and communicating results.
• Ability to create a climate in which people want to do their best; can motivate many kinds of direct reports, team, or project members; enables co-workers to grow and succeed through feedback, instruction, and encouragement.
• Skill in building and maintaining collaborative relationships with internal and external partners.

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, including 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.

Work Schedule and Location

This position will be located in Seattle. The typical workweek is 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

In this role you should expect to work both in the office and in the field, while being required to report to other locations, such as court or jail facilities. DPD maintains physical offices in the following locations:

• Dexter Horton Building, 710 Second Avenue, Seattle

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

Union Membership: this is an appointed position and is not represented by a union.

Relocation

Relocation: in accordance with King County Code (KCC) 3.24.170 ,reasonable and necessary moving expenses up to a maximum of $15,000 may be available if the successful candidate is relocating from outside of Washington.

Any employment offer will be contingent upon the results of a criminal background check and reference check.

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

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.