The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington (FPD) is accepting applications for a full-time criminal defense investigator for our Seattle 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 attorneys to represent accused persons before they are charged, upon arrest, for the appeals process, and through federal habeas corpus review.

Responsibilities: The investigator will provide criminal defense investigation and mitigation, under the direction of the case attorney, the Chief Investigator, and the Federal Defender, 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. Our office occasionally represents clients charged in other districts.

We hope to find an investigator who has experience working as a member of defense teams, advocating for people accused of committing a crime, and showing the humanity of the people accused even when the evidence against them appears strong. They should have initiative, resourcefulness, creativity, compassion, and a desire to stand up for those with few resources— with a demonstrated ability to do so in the face of considerable power and influence. They will investigate cases at all stages of litigation; gather and maintain records; review and analyze discovery and case documents; conduct background investigations; locate and interview witnesses; report information gathered from interviews to attorneys and case teams; meet with clients regularly; identify and work with experts and assist with their contracts; document and photograph findings; serve subpoenas; coordinate witnesses for hearings and trial; provide assistance to attorneys and case team members; prepare declarations and affidavits; and testify at trials and hearings if needed. Investigators in the Seattle office may also be assigned to cases filed in the Tacoma courthouse.

The investigator will collaborate with teams of attorneys, paralegals, social workers, and other staff to uphold every person’s right to be presumed innocent and to receive a fair sentence if convicted. We provide a vigorous defense at trial and, if our client is convicted, at sentencing and on appeal. We advocate for humane sentences by developing mitigation evidence and presenting judges with fully developed views of our clients and their lives, not merely their charges.

For more information, including how to apply, click here.