Public Defense Attorney - Supervisor (SCRAPD) (SDA)

The recruitment is open internally to current Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons Division (SCRAPD) employees within the King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) who have completed their probationary period.

Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. The posting will remain open until the position is filled, but applications submitted by 11:59 p.m. on June 12, 2026, will be given priority consideration.

The Department of Public Defense (DPD) seeks interested applicants for a Special Duty Public Defense Attorney Supervisor position in our (SCRAPD). Practice area placement will depend upon the experience of the successful candidate and may occur in any practice area.

This recruitment will be used to fill a Special Duty Assignment (SDA) position and to create an eligibility pool to fill additional SDA vacancies that may occur within 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 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.

The Departments 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.

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

DPD advocates to reduce the harm and reach of the criminal and civil legal systems that restrict our clients liberty, and advances policy reforms to reduce 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 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 Directors 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.* REQUIRED:

• Juris Doctor degree from accredited law school.
• Member of the Washington State Bar Association in good standing and have been a lawyer for at least three years.
• Murder/Sex/Felony High qualified (to be considered for Felony placements).
• Washington State Driver's License or ability to travel to required destinations.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Community resources and referral agencies appropriate to the specific program service.
• Computer applications, particularly as related to the performance of legal research and case management.
• Case management.
• Application of legal principles to individual cases or problems.
• Judicial and trial procedure and rules of evidence.
• The principles, methods and practices of legal research and investigation.

ABILITY TO:

• Collaborate with Human Resource Manager, interpret and apply DPD, and County, Human Resource, and Coalition Labor Agreements, procedures, and policies.
• Manage a work unit, creating systems that allow for workflow to be predictable and staff to be supported to complete the necessary work.
• Build a strong attorney/client relationship.
• Communicate and work collaboratively with all segments of judicial and criminal justice systems.
• Investigate and document complaints and improve client relations.
• Train, supervise, evaluate, mentor, and improve the work of attorneys and professional legal and support staff, including establishing goals and assigning responsibilities, communicating work performance standards, establishing work priorities, evaluating, and disciplining.
• Assess and make program changes and address and resolve safety, training, and personnel issues.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, communicate clearly, professionally, and with empathy.

SKILL IN:

• Understanding and interpreting complex laws and regulations and analyzing complex legal documents and instruments.
• The ability to present facts, evidence and precedents concerned in complex cases in the form of briefs, opinions, orders, or decisions.
• Understanding and interpreting constitutional provisions, statutes, administrative regulations, and precedents.
• Researching, interpreting, applying, and explaining applicable laws, codes, regulations, and court decisions.
• Working and building rapport with diverse cultural, socio-economic, and ethnic populations.
• Demonstrating commitment to the clients of DPD.

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?

The recruitment is open internally to current Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons Division (SCRAPD) employees within the King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) who have completed their probationary period. Please apply at

To be considered for this role submit the following items:

• Completed King County application.
• A current/chronological resume.
• A Cover letter detailing your background and what you can bring to the Department of Public Defense in this position.

This recruitment will be used to fill a Special Duty Assignment (SDA) position and to create an eligibility pool to fill additional SDA vacancies that may occur within the next six months.

Pay Upon Special Duty Placement

Current employees selected for special duty will be compensated based upon the provisions of the King County Code/Personnel Guidelines for their base position.

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.

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

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

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 our Talent Advisors at dpd- ... .

Work Location and Schedule

The SCRAPD team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. Employees must reside in Washington and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

King County has a robust collection of to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

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.

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. Some night and weekend work is required.

Rotations of work location and practice area and/or workflow are an essential function and can occur based on business need. You may be assigned to and travel 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
• Redmond District Court 8601 160th Ave NE, Redmond (Jefferson for building location)

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 represented by the Teamsters, Local 117.

Forbes 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 aguiding 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.