Public Defense Attorney - Supervisor (NDD)

Salary

$151,871.00 - $197,136.00 Annually

Location

Seattle, WA

Job Type

Special Duty Assignment

Job Number

2025NS25653

Department

DPD - Dept of Public Defense

Division

NW Defenders

Opening Date

10 / 31 / 2025

Closing Date

11 / 4 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Pacific

FLSA

Exempt

Bargaining Unit

AD2 : L117-DPD-Sups&Mgrs-Atty

Full- or Part-Time

Full Time

Summary

This recruitment is open internally to current employees of the King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) who have completed their probationary period.

The Department of Public Defense (DPD) is seeking to fill one Special Duty Assignment (SDA) for the position of Public Defense Attorney - Supervisor within itsNorthwest Defenders Division (NDD). Practice Area placement will be King County District Court and Calendar supervision.

T his assignment is anticipated to last for up to three (3) to six (6) months but has the ability to be extended or end early based on business needs.

This recruitment will be used to create an eligibility pool to fill future SDA vacancies over the next six (6) months.

The successful applicant will have a passion for public defense and for representing clients, focusing on their objectives, interests, and dignity. They will be committed to fighting institutional and structural racism and willing to address issues related to equity and social justice within the workplace and the broader work of public defense. They will have a demonstrated ability to supervise the work of other lawyers and support staff and to mentor, develop, evaluate, and support employees in a fast-paced environment.

Candidates should be fully knowledgeable of court procedures and the law; have considerable trial experience; possess excellent writing, research, and analytic skills, and have expertise in case preparation, handling, and disposition. In many instances, attorney supervisors will carry a partial caseload.

Levels of responsibility will range from supervising entry-level attorneys to those who are highly experienced. The supervisor will ensure that caseload standards that foster excellence in legal representation are observed in accordance with Washington State Bar Association guidelines. Supervising attorneys will have a demonstrated commitment to clients, the Division, and DPD. The successful applicant will have an aptitude for management and leadership and will be able to work within a team of managers.

WHY JOIN DPD?

The Department of Public Defense (DPD) provides high quality legal representation to indigent clients in felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile defense, family defense (dependency cases), involuntary commitment (mental illness), sex offender commitment, and inquests.

We also advocate to reduce the harm and reach of the criminal legal system and civil legal systems that restrict our clients' liberty and to address systemic racism. We strive to create a flexible workplace culture that is inclusive, respectful, and supportive, premised on a shared anti-oppression framework. To learn more about DPD, visit our website .

Job Duties

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

• Supervise attorneys.
• Develop, evaluate, train, mentor, and coach unit employees, and interns.
• Ensure work conforms with prevailing professional standards, applicable statues, rules, and DPD and county policies.
• In consultation and coordination with the NDD Managing Attorney, the Director's Office, and Human Resource staff, conduct disciplinary investigations and impose discipline, when appropriate.
• Implement and monitor corrective and career development action plans and provide support to enable employees to make positive changes.
• Conduct performance evaluations of unit employees, at least annually, and as required for probationary periods, TLTs, and interns.
• Assign and balance workload among attorneys within unit.
• Ensure unit employees are up to date on DPD policies and developments, relevant legislative proposals or enactments and administrative and case law changes that bear on the practice area.
• Act as a catalyst for problem-solving and conflict resolution within the unit and the Division.
• Carry a partial caseload, requiring excellent legal representation and trial skills, excellent rapport with clients, strong legal research, strong negotiation skills and all necessary skills required of a caseload-carrying attorney.
• Maintain and update, as needed, a computerized case-management system to track caseloads and individual assignments. Have a working knowledge of the case management system and learn to utilize reports to evaluate and support the work of the unit.
• Identify cases that present an ethical conflict of interest for the Department of Public Defense.
• Work with Director's Office to ensure unit employees have the training and resources they need to do their jobs well.
• Actively support and promote DPD's mission and all policies and practices, including internal and external activities that strengthen public defense in King County.
• Serve at least twice a year on call and supervise the on-call attorneys.
• Be an active member of the Division Management Team, attend meetings, relay necessary information, and assist with office-wide initiatives and operations matters.
• Work closely with all supervisors to coordinate overlapping work and support the efficient operation of the division.
• Set a positive and supportive tone in the Division.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Detailed specifics of job duties are assigned by case type and division.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

REQUIRED

KNOWLEDGE OF :

ABILITY TO :

SKILL IN :

Supplemental 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 recruitment is open internally to current employees of the King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) who have completed their probationary period.

The Department of Public Defense (DPD) is seeking to fill one Special Duty Assignment (SDA) for the position of Public Defense Attorney - Supervisor within itsNorthwest Defenders Division (NDD). Practice Area placement will be King County District Court and Calendar supervision.

If you are a current supervising attorney in NDD and wish to be considered for transfer to another practice area, you should e-mail the NDD Managing Attorney, Kari Boyum, at Kari.Boyum@kingcounty.gov no later than the closing date of this recruitment.

All interested applicants are encouraged to apply or indicate transfer preferences.

Note : Special Duty opportunities are only open to current King County career service employees that have completed their initial probation. Special Duty applicants must have approval from their current supervisor to accept an assignment.

Pay Upon Special Duty Placement

Current employees selected for special duty will be compensated based upon the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Coalition Labor Agreement, or the King County Code / Personnel Guidelines for their base assignment.

The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, references, a personnel file review going back the last three (3) years, and if applicable a background check. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience.

Forms and Materials Required

Work Location and Schedule

The Department of Public Defense (DPD) offers a supportive and inclusive workplace. Onsite reporting requirements are based on operational needs. Public Defense Attorney Supervisors 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.

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 :

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.

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

The position is represented by the Teamsters, Local 117.

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.

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs :

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page .

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE : Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and / or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position.Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.

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