King County, WA · 1 week ago
Public Defense Attorney - Supervisor (NDD)
Seattle, WA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
3+ years expKing County's Department of Public Defense is seeking a Public Defense Attorney – Supervisor for their Northwest Defenders Division. This role involves supervising attorneys, mentoring staff, and ensuring high standards of legal representation while addressing issues related to equity and social justice.
Business DevelopmentBusiness Information SystemsBusiness IntelligenceHealth CareHospital
No H1B
Responsibilities
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 Director’s 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
Qualification
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
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
Knowledge of computer applications, particularly as related to the performance of legal research and case management
Knowledge of case management
Knowledge of application of legal principles to individual cases or problems
Knowledge of judicial and trial procedure and rules of evidence
Knowledge of 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
Ability to manage a work unit, creating systems that allow for workflow to be predictable and staff to be supported to complete the necessary work
Ability to build a strong attorney/client relationship
Ability to communicate and work collaboratively with all segments of judicial and criminal justice systems
Ability to investigate and document complaints and improve client relations
Ability to 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
Ability to assess and make program changes and address and resolve safety, training, and personnel issues
Ability to 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
Skill in presenting facts, evidence and precedents concerned in complex cases in the form of briefs, opinions, orders, or decisions
Skill in understanding and interpreting constitutional provisions, statutes, administrative regulations, and precedents
Skill in researching, interpreting, applying, and explaining applicable laws, codes, regulations, and court decisions
Skill in working and building rapport with diverse cultural, socio-economic, and ethnic populations
Skill in demonstrating commitment to the clients of DPD
Benefits
Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependents
Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
Generous vacation and paid sick leave
Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
Flexible Spending Account
Wellness programs
Onsite activity centers
Employee Giving Program
Employee assistance programs
Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
Training and career development programs
Company
King County, WA
King County is one of the best places to work in Washington and one of the state's largest employers with 14,000 dedicated employees.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Laura Federighi
Chief Financial Officer
Dan Bernard
Communities of Opportunity (COO) Employment Manager
Recent News
2025-08-27
2025-08-27
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