Deputy Public Defender Attorney I, II, III

**DEPUTY PUBLIC DEFENDER ATTORNEY I, II, III** **SALARY INFORMATION** Attorney I ............... $96,699.20 up to $116,896 Annually Attorney II .............. $113,089.60 up to $126,048 Annually Attorney III ............. $129,417.60 up to $179,233.60 Annually *Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.* **BILINGUAL PAY** **An additional $0.20 per hour is paid for this position to bilingual employees (fluently speak, read, and write)****in Spanish, Vietnamese, or Korean (in addition to English).** Employees must pass the bilingual exam and be certified to be eligible for supplemental pay. **Open to the Public** This recruitment is being held to establish an open eligible list to fill current and future Deputy Public Defender Attorney I, II, and III positions. The Public Defender will fill vacancies from the eligible list established from this recruitment. Online applications will be accepted beginning on **Tues****day****, July 14, 2026**. This recruitment will remain open on a continuous basis until 11:59 p.m. (PST) on the day the needs of the department/County are met. **Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately for****priority consideration****.** **TO BE CONSIDERED DURING THE FIRST ROUND OF CONSIDERATION, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION BY: Friday****,** **July 24** **,****2026, at 11:59 p.m. (PST).** **Offices of the Public Defender** The Orange County Public Defender's Office is a law firm of highly dedicated and skilled attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and support staff who work to advance a more humane and compassionate justice system by protecting the constitutional rights and freedoms of the diverse communities of Orange County through inspired, client-centered advocacy in the courtroom and the community. The principal role of the Offices of the Public Defender is to provide each client with high quality representation, thereby protecting their constitutional rights and liberties. In advancing the cause of these clients, the dedicated lawyers and support staff are on the front lines protecting the precious rights and privileges of all Orange County residents. In addition to clients in criminal cases, counsel is appointed to represent children in Juvenile Court Delinquency cases, parents in Dependency cases, and a variety of persons in Mental Health cases. Please click [HERE](http://www.pubdef.ocgov.com/) for more information. **The Opportunity** As a **Deputy Public Defender** you will enforce and protect the Constitutional rights, privileges and freedoms of individuals by providing the highest quality legal advocacy for all clients in the Courts of Orange County, which in turn helps protect those important rights for all County residents. The assignment may be at any of our various locations or units and will include criminal, mental health, and dependency cases. This is an in-person assignment, and the duties cannot be performed remotely/virtually. **Are You** - An attorney who would like to learn to be a skilled trial lawyer? - A caring, empathetic humanitarian who would like a job that provides you with great personal fulfillment? - Able to effectively communicate with a judge, district attorney and a jury? - A team player who has a zeal for the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution? - An individual who can deliver the mission of the Offices of the Public Defender in an ethical and responsible manner? **The Ideal Candidate** The ideal candidate will be an attorney who is passionate about the law and has a desire to become a skilled trial litigant. The candidate will possess strong ethical standards, good organizational skills, and an unwavering commitment to provide the best legal representation for their clients. In addition to the minimum qualifications for Deputy Public Defender Attorney I, II, III, the ideal candidate will have attorney experience in the practice o…