Working for the Alameda County Public Defender's Office
The Public Defender’s practice consists predominantly of litigation and defense of adults and juveniles charged with crimes ranging from misdemeanors to capital murders. The Office also defends individuals subject to involuntary psychiatric commitments and conservatorships. All Public Defender attorneys rotate through the various assignments available in the office.
The Public Defender employs roughly 110 trial attorneys across our six branch offices in Alameda County.
The Alameda County Public Defender's Office is one of the oldest public defense offices in the United States. Our reputation for exceptional legal representation to indigent clients is due to its historically rigorous professional and ethical standards. The Alameda County Public Defender’s Office is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity.
Alameda County is a large, geographically diverse area with a growing population of nearly 1.7 million. The patterns of crime and the community responses to criminal justice issues vary dramatically within the county, which makes Alameda County a fascinating and rewarding place to practice criminal law.
Over the past few years our office has grown to be the preeminent provider of holistic defense in California. Our client-centered practice gives a voice to those whose voices have been silenced by poverty and systems of oppression. We ensure that no one faces the government alone. We protect the wrongfully accused, the homeless, the poor, the unfortunate and the neglected. We fight for those who cannot afford to fight for themselves and we help them navigate a complex and daunting legal system. By fighting for them, we protect the constitutional rights of everyone in our community.
We're Hiring
Deputy Public Defender
THE DEPARTMENT
The Alameda County Public Defender's Office provides the highest quality of indigent criminal defense by vigorously advocating for the rights of individuals facing criminal charges in adult and juvenile court. Our mission is to zealously protect and defend the rights of clients through compassionate and inspired legal representation of the highest quality, in pursuit of a fair and unbiased system of justice for all. The Alameda County Office is one of the oldest Public Defender offices in the nation, chartered in 1927 by Earl Warren who later became Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Today, our team of more than 100 attorneys, 18 investigators and 40 support staff handle approximately 30,000 cases per year providing innovative, holistic defense services for Alameda County residents. In 2012, the office was named the "Best Law Firm" in the East Bay by the Alameda County Bar Association.
For additional info, please visit: Alameda County Public Defenders
THE POSITION:
Deputy Public Defender is the general litigation attorney class. By the assignment of the Public Defender, Deputy Public Defenders are the attorneys for defendants in criminal and juvenile cases, and represent litigants in certain civil proceedings, as appointed to or accepted by the Public Defender. Deputy Public Defenders perform all related legal work as required and authorized by the Public Defender.IDEAL CANDIDATE
In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a track record of success in the following areas:
- Demonstrated expertise and knowledge of the philosophy and practice of public defense, laws, ethics and policies of the Public Defender’s Office and scope and character of California Statutory and constitutional law.
- Strong ability to identify and understand complex legal problems and concepts, apply logical thinking and methods to gathering and analyzing evidence and information.
- Outstanding organizational skills with the demonstrated ability to independently prioritize and manage multiple on-going cases, as well as the ability to provide status updates on cases and hearings at a moment’s notice.
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to communicate with diverse individuals and proven experience in delivering legal arguments that are effective in both written and oral form.
- Consider and anticipate multiple factors and the potential consequences when making decisions.
- Consistently maintain effectiveness when experiencing change in work responsibilities, priorities, and deadlines and take prompt action to accomplish objectives.
- Proven ability to remain flexible, open, and positive while handling needs of Clients and demands of the Court.
- Foster and maintain effective client relationships to ensure that all clients’ needs are thoroughly identified, properly addressed, and handled in a fair and equitable manner consistent with the principles and practices of the Public Defender’s Office.
- Ability to litigate complex and serious felonies.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. Current active membership and good standing with the State Bar of California.
2. Valid California motor vehicle operator's license.
EXPERIENCE:
Either
The equivalent of 24 months of full-time experience in the class of Associate Deputy Public Defender in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)
Or
The equivalent of 24 months’ full-time experience in the practice of criminal law, and demonstrated competence in the handling of all phases of felony cases, including substantial felony trial experience. Substantial felony trial experience is deemed to include the trial to verdict of at least three felonies for which the possible penalty exceeds seven years.
NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Knowledge of:
- Philosophy and practice of public defense in the United States.
- Laws, ethics, and policies governing the Public Defender's Office.
- Legal principles and procedures followed in the handling of criminal and juvenile cases, including rules of evidence, trial litigation, and appellate procedure.
- Scope and character of California statutory and constitutional law.
- Legal source materials.
- Principles of training and supervision.
- Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action.
- Gather, analyze, and apply legal data and evidence.
- Present legal arguments effectively in oral and written form.
- Inspire confidence in clients and work effectively with colleagues and representatives of other agencies.
- Handle legal correspondence and procedures with tact and accuracy.
- Appropriate decision making.
- Interpersonal sensitivity.
- Flexibility.
- Performance in a stressful environment.
- Defend felony cases at the pretrial and jury trial level, including advanced litigation techniques and preservation of the trial record by making timely and appropriate trial objections and motions, and demonstrated knowledge of and facility in addressing difficult sentencing issues.
EXAMINATION COMPONENTS
The examination will consist of the following steps:
- A review of applicants' application to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
- A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to determine the best qualified. Those candidates considered the best qualified will move on to the final step in the examination process.
- An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.
Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.
Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.
To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, https://hrs.alamedacountyca.gov/
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN
Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance.
The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency.
| TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT PLAN: |
|
|
Deadline for Filing:
|
5:00:00 PM, Friday, August 7, 2026
|
|
Review of Minimum Qualifications:
|
Friday, August 14, 2026 |
| Screening for the Best-Qualified: |
Week of September 11, 2026 |
|
Virtual Civil Service Oral Examination:
|
Week of September 21, 2026
|
| TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN: |
|
| Departmental Hiring Interviews: | October 2026 |
Legal Position Descriptions
Entry Level Attorney Positions
Appointments to all vacant Associate Deputy Public Defender positions are made by the Public Defender from a civil service hiring list prepared after an examination coordinated by the Alameda County Human Resources Department. The HR Department receives applications during an open period of 25 days. Applications for Associate Deputy Public Defender are generally accepted once a year, from mid-November to mid-December following the summer bar exam results.
All Associate Deputy Public Defenders initially work in a branch office where they are assigned cases of increasing difficulty. By the end of the third year most lawyers are assigned their first felony jury trial case load. After demonstrating proficiency in the trial of felony cases, Associate Deputy Public Defenders are promoted to the position of Deputy Public Defender. The Office provides ongoing in-house training for all attorneys; the Alameda County Public Defender is approved as a provider of Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) by the State Bar of California.
Click here to view the Associate Deputy Public Defender Job Description and to sign up to be notified when the position opens.
Deputy Public Defender Positions
The Deputy Public Defender position is the general litigation attorney position in the Public Defender’s Office. By the assignment of the Public Defender, Deputy Public Defenders are the attorneys for defendants in criminal and juvenile cases, and represent litigants in certain civil proceedings, as appointed to or accepted by the Public Defender. Deputy Public Defenders must be in good standing with the State Bar of California and have a valid California motor vehicle operator’s license, and should have experience in the practice of criminal law and demonstrated competence in the handling of all phases of felony cases, including substantial felony trial experience. Substantial felony trial experience is deemed to include the trial to verdict of at least three felonies for which the possible penalty exceeds seven years.
The Office provides ongoing in-house training for all attorneys; the Alameda County Public Defender is approved as a provider of Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) by the State Bar of California.
Appointments to all vacant Deputy Public Defender positions are made by the Public Defender from a Civil Service hiring list promulgated after an examination coordinated by the Alameda County Personnel Department.
Click here to view the Deputy Public Defender Job Description and to sign up to be notified when the position opens.
Post-Bar Legal Assistants
Post-Bar Legal Assistants perform legal research and writing, conduct client intake interviews, litigate motions, conduct evidentiary hearings and assist attorneys in case preparation for trial or disposition. All legal assistants are compensated and must be certified under the Rules Governing the Practical Training of Law Students by the State Bar of California or admitted to the State Bar. Applications for post-bar legal assistants are accepted year-round but the recruitment period generally lasts from July to November. All inquiries should be directed to the Public Defender Recruitment Officer at acpdrecruitment@acgov.org. Please include a cover letter, resume and writing sample.
Law Clerk Positions
The Alameda County Public Defender’s Office offers law students the opportunity to gain the traditional experience in research and writing, as well as practical “hands on” experience of assisting Public Defenders in court. In general, law clerks perform legal research and writing, conduct client intake interviews, litigate motions, conduct evidentiary hearings and assist attorneys in case preparation for trial or disposition. All law clerk work is done under the supervision of a senior Public Defender attorney. Law students who are exploring a career in criminal defense work will find their experiences with the Alameda County Public Defender an invaluable step in their career development.
We encourage 1L, 2L, and 3L students to apply and we accept interns on a year-round basis. We encourage law students seeking this position to complete courses in Criminal Procedure and Evidence. For some positions, law students must be eligible for certification under the Rules Governing the Practical Training of Law Students by the State Bar of California. If your school does not provide funding to you, we can provide funding to law clerks working full-time during the summer. While applications are accepted continuously, the bulk are received during On-Campus Interviews in the fall. All inquiries should be directed to the Public Defender Recruitment Officer at acpdrecruitment@acgov.org. Please include a cover letter, resume and writing sample.