Where Will Your Legal Education Take You?

Graphic by Alondra Pulido

Public Defender

Public defenders represent the indigent accused of crime. The work of a public defender can be incredibly demanding, having to handle upwards of hundreds of cases at a time. However, the job can also be incredibly rewarding, especially for those passionate about criminal justice reform. For this reason, many public defenders have prior experience working in the criminal justice system (either through a clerkship or externship), which gives them a better idea whether or not this is the correct career path for them.

Public defenders may work at the local, state, or federal level. Some public defenders may work in offices that specialize in death penalty cases (a sentence utilized in 28 states). These lawyers gain a lot of trial experience and exposure to a wide variety of cases with a diverse clientele. Interested law students should be aware that some public defenders hire entry-level lawyers during their 3L year. They typically look for candidates who have demonstrated excellent client-based skills, litigation experience, commitment to the indigent, and coursework in criminal justice or public defense. 

Law students interested in pursuing a career as a public defender, or who are interested in criminal law in general, may consider taking part in the Washington Innocence Project Clinic. Students in the program work to free innocent prisoners, and in doing so learn how the criminal justice system makes errors and how the system can be reformed to decrease the number of wrongful convictions.

Photo by David Veksler on Unsplash

Prosecutor

Prosecutors are attorneys appointed by the government to represent them in criminal cases. At the local and state level, prosecutors may work in District Attorney or Attorney Generals’ Offices, while at the federal level they may work within offices of the United States Department of Justice. Within these offices, prosecutors may work in specialized units focused on different types of criminal cases, including homicide, domestic violence, juvenile prosecution, and appellate work.

Many District Attorneys’ offices hire entry-level lawyers during their 3L year, and typically desire candidates with a strong commitment to government and public service. Trial experience is also highly desirable among prospective candidates. Law students interested in public interest law who are unsure whether they want to pursue a career as a public defender or a prosecutor should shadow attorneys in both fields to both gain experience, and to see which path they would prefer. 

U.S. citizenship is required for being hired as a prosecutor within the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and dual citizenship cases are looked at individually. In addition, all law student and attorney candidates for a position within a U.S. Attorney's Office must undergo a security and suitability clearance, which includes inquiries into the candidates’ credit, name, fingerprints, and drug use. Students interested in working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office should also be mindful of any potential conflicts of interest that could arise from a clinic or internship experience.

Public Defender

• One Lawyer, 194 Felony Cases, and No Time [Richard A. Oppel & Jugal K. Patel, The New York Times (2019)]

• Criminal: Public Defender Offices [Harvard Law School]

• Careers in Indigent Defense: A Guide to Public Defender Programs [Lisa D. Williams. Harvard Law School (2012)]

Prosecutor

• Criminal: Prosecuting Offices [Harvard Law School]

• Criminal Prosecution [Yale Law School]

• King County Department of Public Defense

• Public Defender Association (Seattle)

• Washington Innocence Project Clinic [University of Washington School of Law]

• University of Washington School of Law Faculty:

  • Kimberly Ambrose - UW Law Associate Teaching Professor

    Professor Ambrose worked as a public defender before joining the UW Law faculty. Currently serves on the King County Public Defense Advisory Board.

  • John Clynch - Managing Director, UW Federal Tax Clinic

    Previously worked as a public defender for The Defender Association and Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons. 

  • Jacqueline McMurtrie - UW Clinic Faculty Director of the Washington Innocence Project

• A Guide to Landing a Job in a Prosecutor's Office [Boston University School of Law]

• Criminal Justice Standards for the Prosecution Function [ABA]

• University of Washington School of Law Faculty:

  • Anna B. Bosch - Director, UW Visiting Scholars Program

    Previously worked as a criminal prosecutor for King County

  • Mary D. Fan - UW Jack R. MacDonald Endowed Chair

    Former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California.

  • Maureen A. Howard - UW Professor of Law

    Previously worked in King County Prosecutor’s Office. Research in prosecutorial ethics.

  • Dean Tamara Lawson--Dean of UW Law

Former Deputy District Attorney for Clark County (Las Vegas, Nevada)