Staff Attorney

Description

About the Washington State Office of Public Defense (OPD)

We are an independent judicial branch agency mandated to implement the constitutional and statutory guarantees of counsel and to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of indigent defense services funded by the state.

Mission: Upholding the rights of all people who are facing the loss of liberty or family by providing statewide leadership, administration, and support to the multidisciplinary public defense profession.
Vision: Public defense clients, everywhere in the state, receive truly equitable and client-centered representation from fully supported professionals.
Values: Justice * Service * Equity * Excellence

We administer a variety of programs, including systemic improvement programs and programs providing direct representation. To learn about OPD’s programs click here. We are dedicated to excellence in public law and indigent defense, and we seek talented candidates who share this commitment to client-centered service. We value employees who bring diverse backgrounds in education, employment, community activities, and life experiences to enhance our office.

The Disproportionality Unit

The Disproportionality Unit is dedicated to challenging systemic racial and economic inequities by supporting public defenders and strengthening advocacy for indigent persons throughout Washington. The unit develops litigation strategies, creates trainings, provides resources, and promotes policies to fight injustice in the legal system.

Duties

The Position

The Washington State Office of Public Defense seeks an experienced attorney to develop legal trainings, strategies, and policies for challenging racial and economic disproportionality. The attorney should understand how race, gender, national origin, disability, and class intersect to create disparities for individuals and families that become involved in the legal system.

The successful candidate will collaborate with OPD leadership, attorneys, staff, and external partners to promote social justice and system reforms. The position will report to the Disproportionality Unit Supervising Attorney.

The daily work site is at the OPD office in Olympia, with remote options by policy. Periodic travel is required in Washington, including occasional overnight travel. Out-of-state travel occurs infrequently.

General Responsibilities

• Professionally network with external partners and stakeholders to develop relationships and collaborations that promote social justice and system reforms applicable to public defense advocacy.

• Exercise mature judgment in potentially sensitive, high-stress situations.
• Participate in and foster a collaborative working environment at OPD, statewide stakeholder groups, and demographically diverse local court systems.
• Diligently follow attorney and state employee ethics requirements.
• Conduct all activities with the highest degree of professionalism in furtherance of OPD’s Mission, Vision, and Values.
• If not admitted to the Washington State Bar Association, you must become admitted within a year of your start date.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Licensed attorney in good standing in any state, with the ability to join the Washington State Bar Association within the next year.

• Five years of trial or appellate litigation experience in public defense or civil rights and social justice.
• Experience advocating and litigating against bias, discrimination, and differential treatment of individuals and communities disproportionately impacted by the legal system.
• A demonstrated commitment to racial and social justice and a fundamental understanding of the historical context underlying current challenges in the judicial system faced by Black, Indigenous, and people of color, individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+, individuals with disabilities, immigrants, and individuals with limited English proficiency.
• An interest in using data and statistical research to promote social justice and legal system reform.
• Strong legal writing and research skills.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills, including the capacity to develop and sustain respectful professional relationships with stakeholders in communities throughout Washington.
• An ability to think strategically, prioritize tasks, and function independently and as a team in a collaborative environment.

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in working with clients living in poverty and from diverse cultures.
• Experience with training attorneys on issues related to public defense or civil rights and social justice.
• Experience in advocating for policy changes on issues related to public defense or civil rights and social justice.
• The ability to provide individual consultation with attorneys seeking technical assistance on disproportionality issues throughout the state.

Supplemental Information

Compensation $106,104 TO $142,692 annually.
Washington State employees are offered a comprehensive benefit package that includes: paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, retirement and health, dental and life insurance coverage for self and family. There are also options for deferred compensation and pre-tax flexible spending accounts.

Application Process
To be considered, interested candidates must apply online at www.careers.wa.gov (Click on the APPLY button above.) You must complete the entire online application. In addition to the online application:

• Letter of interest
• Current résumé
• A list of at least three professional references
• A writing sample that is your original work