News & Updates

Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington Seeks Assistant Federal Public Defenders
May 3, 2022 | Alison Pagan

The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington (FPD) is accepting applications for two full-time Assistant Federal Public Defenders (AFPDs). One position is for our Seattle office and one for our Tacoma office. The FPD operates under the authority of the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A, to provide legal representation to people charged with committing federal crimes who cannot afford to hire an attorney. The Court appoints our AFPDs to represent accused persons before they are charged, upon arrest, for the appeals process, and through federal habeas corpus review.

Responsibilities: The AFPDs will advocate for our clients charged with criminal offenses or involved in post-conviction proceedings in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The AFPDs will assume active caseloads ranging from complex felonies to misdemeanors. The positions require managing cases at various stages of litigation; preparing pleadings, briefs, and motions; appearing on behalf of clients in court hearings and at other related proceedings; developing litigation strategies; meeting with clients, experts, witnesses, and family members; and performing other duties as assigned. They will work to uphold every person’s right to be presumed innocent, to provide a vigorous defense at trial, and to receive a fair sentence if convicted. They will advocate for humane sentences by collaborating with teams of investigators, paralegals, social workers, and other staff to develop mitigation evidence and to present judges with fully developed views of our clients and their lives, not merely their charges. This position requires some travel throughout our district and occasional out-of-district travel. Lawyers in the Seattle office may also be assigned to cases filed in the Tacoma courthouse and vice versa.

For more information, including how to apply, click here: FPD – Assistant Federal Public Defender