3 Tips to Picking the Right Public Defender Office
Location, location, location! Well, that’s not always the case. Where you apply depends on a lot of things including where you went to law school, where you held internship or externship positions, where you grew up, where your spouse lives, and a host of other factors that makes life the complicated mess that it is sometimes.
Now, some of you will say, “Hey, I’m young, no kids, no spouse; I can move anywhere I get a job, so I am going to apply everywhere!” I get that. You want to become a public defender. The field is deep, and the jobs are limited.
You want to expand your odds of being hired by applying everywhere. There is nothing wrong with that and quite frankly, there are a lot of areas in this country, considered less desirable to live and practice law in, that needs public defenders.
WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?
But before you apply to every public defender office in the country, I want you to think about this; why would I hire you over someone who specifically wants to work in my state and for my office?
If the interviewers and/or hiring committee at your public defender interview get the sense that you are just applying everywhere to see what sticks, they may be concerned that you’re not going to be invested in their office if hired. In other words, what’s to say you won’t just pack up and leave for a state that you really prefer, but couldn’t get hired at, within the next several years?
You want to impress the interviewers and/or hiring committee at your public defender interview with your knowledge of their office and your desire to become a part of it.
2 HYPOTHETICAL INTERVIEW SCENARIOS
Let’s look at two hypothetical exchanges to further illustrate this point:
Scenario #1
Interviewer: So, why do you want to leave Michigan and come to the Bronx Defenders?
You: Well, I really want to be a public defender. As you can see from my cover letter and resume, this is my life. I have dedicated everything to becoming a public defender.
Interviewer: Of course, that is clear. But why here? Why not Alaska? New Hampshire? Colorado?
You: Well, I am really flexible with where I can go. I’m applying everywhere because I want to make sure I am able to pursue my dream
Scenario #2
Interviewer: So, why do you want to leave Michigan and come to the Bronx Defenders?
You: Well, I really want to be a public defender, so I have spent a considerable amount of time researching agencies in different states across the country. What I found was that the Bronx Defenders not only has a top-notch training office, but they also practice holistic criminal defense. That philosophy really speaks to me because I firmly believe that we, as public defenders, must help our clients address not only their criminal case, but also the social problems which led them to our office. For that reason, the Bronx Defenders are my top choice.
Now, which candidate is more likely to get an offer based on that short exchange?
I am not telling you to apply to only one office. For some people, that’s their only option. They live where they live, and their options are limited. But if you have some mobility, some geographical flexibility, you should consider applying to multiple agencies. But don’t just throw twenty resumes on the wall to see what sticks. Here are 3 things to think about before applying to a public defender office:
- Take out a map and think about where you would be willing to live.
- Look into public defender agencies within those areas.
- Research those agencies and think about what is attractive to you about them. For example, are they affiliated with Gideon’s Promise?
RESEARCHING A PUBLIC DEFENDER OFFICE
How do you research a public defender office? Many have their own websites. Some examples: New Hampshire Public Defender; San Francisco Public Defender; Committee for Public Counsel Services. You will see each site is set up differently, but generally will have information about the organization, including its history, office locations, training, and of course, hiring!
You should go through every website for any public defender office that you may want to apply to and then, if granted an interview, study the heck out of it before you go in for your interview. You can also Google the various county or district offices and find links to new articles about them.
From your research you will also be able to develop thoughtful questions to present to the interviewer and/or hiring committee at your public defender interview. We will talk about questions, to and from the interviewer, in another post, but for now just keep this in mind; researching public defender agencies not only will help you decide which one(s) to apply to, but it will also help you write a meaningful cover letter and succeed in your interview(s).
Use These Tips When Looking For A Public Defender Internship
This advice also applies to those of you looking for internships. In many cases, where you do your summer internship or externship may determine where you are hired. Some agencies will grant you a final stage interview at the end of your internship as a perk. Nothing says, “I want to work for your public defender office” more than committing the last 2-3 months to their work. See my post on The Public Defender Internship for information on picking (and getting hire) for the right internship.
To help get you started, below is a link to public defender agencies across the country.
