Orange County Public Defender Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary: See Position Description
Location : Orange County
Job Type: Full-Time Regular
Job Number: 2308AT-0726-058 (O)
Department: Public Defender
Opening Date: 07/14/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
CAREER DESCRIPTION
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 Tuesday, 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 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 of criminal law with experience in litigation and trial work.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
To learn more about the minimum qualifications, physical & mental requirements, and environmental conditions for each Deputy Public Defender Attorney classification, please select the respective link below:
ATTORNEY I: Click to read the complete job classification for Attorney I.Experience

• None required

License Required

• MUST be an active member of the State Bar of California and eligible to practice law in the State of California. Possession of a California Class C Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation to carry out the essential functions of the job.

OR

• Candidates who will sit for the July 2026 California Bar Examination or recently sat for the July 2026 California Bar Examination and are awaiting results are eligible to apply. An active California State Bar membership and eligibility to practice law in the State of California must be attained by date of appointment and maintained throughout employment. Possession of a California Class C Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation to carry out the essential functions of the job.

ATTORNEY II: Click to read the complete job classification for Attorney II.
Experience

• Twelve (12) months of experience as an attorney in the practice of criminal law. Post-Bar attorney experience in a civil or general practice law office may be substituted for the criminal experience on a two-month for one-month basis.

License Required

• MUST be an active member of the State Bar of California and eligible to practice law in the State of California. Possession of a California Class C Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation to carry out the essential functions of the job.

OR

• Members in good standing of California State Bar and have been assigned a license number, but have inactive membership status are also welcome to apply. An active California State Bar membership and eligibility to practice law in the State of California must be attained by date of appointment and maintained throughout employment. Possession of a California Class C Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation to carry out the essential functions of the job.

ATTORNEY III: Click to read the complete job classification for Attorney III.
Experience

• Two (2) years of experience as an attorney in the practice of criminal law. Post-Bar attorney experience in a civil or general practice law office may be substituted for the criminal experience on a two-month for one-month basis.

License Required

• MUST be an active member of the State Bar of California and eligible to practice law in the State of California. Possession of a California Class C Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation to carry out the essential functions of the job.

OR

• Members in good standing of California State Bar and have been assigned a license number, but have inactive membership status are also welcome to apply. An active California State Bar membership and eligibility to practice law in the State of California must be attained by date of appointment and maintained throughout employment. Possession of a California Class C Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation to carry out the essential functions of the job.

Please note: Years of experience are calculated based upon the work rate of 40 hours per week.
BACKGROUND VERIFICATION/ SANCTION SCREENING
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background check consisting of employment history, professional references, conviction history, criminal check and education verification (i.e., certificate, degree, license, and official transcript). State Bar membership must be attained, and candidates will be required to provide proof of successful admission to the State Bar of California prior to appointment/conditional job offer. Special Requirements: Appointees must pass a background investigation to the satisfaction of the County of Orange Public Defender's Office (for all levels), including a fingerprint check though Live Scan. Applicants will also be required to answer a conviction questionnaire as part of the background process. A clean driving record may be required while employed in this classification (see minimum qualifications and classification description for required license).
Note: Foreign degrees require an evaluation of U.S. equivalency by an agency that is a member of the .
Physical and Mental Requirements and Environmental Conditions
The County of Orange is committed to providing a means for applicants who may have a disability to identify areas in which they may request a reasonable accommodation. The following is a description of the physical and mental abilities which are customarily required to perform the essential job functions of this position. Applicants are encouraged to contact the recruiter listed below for any questions or to request an accommodation during the testing/selection process. Please refer to the links above for the complete job classifications including the Physical and Mental Requirements and Environmental Conditions.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS/SELECTION PROCEDURES
Application Screening (Refer/Non-Refer)Public Defender Human Resources screens all application materials to identify candidates with qualities that meet minimum and/or desirable qualifications. Application materials and supplemental responses will be screened to identify qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this position based on the skills required to meet the needs of the County. Only those applicants that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competition.
Structured Oral Interview | Structured Oral Examination (Weighted 100%) - Candidates will be interviewed and rated by a panel of job knowledge experts. Each candidate's rating will be based on responses to a series of structured questions designed to elicit the candidate's qualifications for the job. The evaluation is solely based on the candidate's responses to the structured questions; therefore, candidates should be thorough, detailed, and complete when responding to the structured questions. Please note that the panel will also be evaluating oral communication skills. This is a competitive process. Only the most successful candidates will be placed on the eligible list.
ELIGIBLE LIST
After the competitive procedures listed above have been completed, an eligible list of qualified candidates will be established. Candidates will be notified of their standing. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.
Please note: To ensure case confidentiality, please do not provide specific identifying case names and/or case numbers within the application, all supplemental responses and in all attachments to the application.
Based on the Agency/Department's needs, modification to the selection procedure listed above may occur. If changes in the selection procedure should occur, all candidates will receive notification.
Veterans Employment Preference Policy, Effective 09/15/2020
The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click to review the policy.
QUESTIONS
For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, please contact
Christine Reese at (657) 251-8838.
INTERESTED?
• Apply online as only online applications will be accepted.
• Your application should highlight all of the areas in which you have developed expertise,
matching your professional experience with the specific qualifications listed above.
• In the job experience section of the application, it is imperative that you include the
company name and address, position held, employment dates, full-time or part-time,
duties and reason for leaving. All this information must be included for each job listed.
• Applicants are required to answer supplemental questions in addition to completing the
online application. Note: We suggest you prepare the supplemental answers offline so
you do not lose your Internet connection. Once you have completed the answers offline,
copy and paste your answers in the appropriate boxes.
Please note: To ensure you submit your application before the 11:59 p.m. (PST) deadline, the submit button MUST be clicked before the deadline and please ensure your computer time/clock is set to the correct time.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FOR PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES
The County of Orange provides a comprehensive, balanced, and competitive benefits package as part of the employee total compensation.
The County offers a competitive benefits package which includes a choice of several health plans, annual le