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.

The AFPD will assume an active caseload ranging from complex felonies to misdemeanors. The position requires 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. The AFPD 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.

Applicants must be law-school graduates, licensed attorneys in good standing with a federal or state bar, and eligible for admission to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Applicants must have at least two years of criminal defense trial and sentencing experience and have significant writing experience.

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