The position. The Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho is accepting applications for a trial attorney in the Spokane office.
Who we are. We are a Community Defender Organization , making us a non-profit corporation funded by a grant from the federal government. We are not government employees, and our employment status is considered “at will.” The organization’s main office is in Spokane, Washington, with a branch office in Yakima, Washington.
We provide legal representation to individuals accused of committing federal crimes who cannot afford to hire an attorney. We begin helping as early as pre-indictment investigations, and continue helping them through trial and appeal, including discretionary review at the U.S. Supreme Court. We also help with habeas review.
But we are more. We are a team of attorneys, legal assistants, paralegals, investigators, mitigation specialists, office administrators, and IT specialists who are committed to vigorously representing our clients. We believe vigorous representation involves holistic representation, which means we routinely work with community resources to help our clients navigate not only the legal hurdles they face, but also obtain employment, housing, and any treatment they might need.
While employed with our office, you may not engage in the private practice of law and must get approval from the Executive Director to engage in any outside employment activities.
What we value. We believe effective, holistic representation occurs when members of the defense team have diverse backgrounds and experiences. This means that, in recruiting individuals to join our team, we value (and embrace) the unique contributions you as the applicant can bring, including your culture, ethnicity, education, opinions, race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, religion, disability, and economic status. We welcome those who seek such an environment to apply, and are an equal opportunity employer.
Who you are. You are a trusted, reliable, skilled and efficient attorney who is eager to collaborate with other members from our team in an effort to provide effective, holistic representation. You are organized, capable of multi-tasking, and harness creativity, dedication, and persistence to overcome the myriad challenges our clients (and you) will face. You are a team player and want to help those around you.
What experience you’ll bring. As an experienced attorney, you will handle a higher caseload of criminal cases from inception to trial, sentencing or both, as well as handling appeals. The caseload is varied, but you’ll be assigned cases involving firearms, drugs, immigration, fraud, sex offenses and supervised release. And since both our offices are surrounded by Native American lands, you may be assigned cases coming from those lands, including assaults, murders, and robberies.
Salary and benefits. We take care of our team. This full-time position has a starting annual salary range of $85,718 to $162,148, depending on your years of relevant professional experience. You will be eligible for benefits, including the following: 1) health; 2) vision; 3) dental; 4) life insurance/AD&D & long-term disability; 5) flexible savings account; 6) 403(b) Retirement Plan; 7) eleven paid federal holidays; 8) thirteen days of paid annual sick leave; and 9) thirteen days of paid annual vacation (the rate of paid vacation leave increases based on years of service). Salary is paid semi-monthly (mid-month and end-of-month) via direct deposit.
Anticipated start date Fall of 2023 with an offer and acceptance of position by September 25, 2023.
What qualifications you’ll need. You will need to meet the following qualifications:
- be a graduate of an accredited law school;
- be admitted to practice before the highest court in a state;
- be eligible for admission to the courts where we practice (i.e., the Eastern District of Washington; the District of Idaho; and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals);
- have at least six (6) years of professional experience as an attorney and tried at least three (3) felony jury trials;
- be tech-savvy, as we are a paper-light office.
What you’ll need to be willing to do. You will be required to work at the Spokane office unless out of the office for investigation, jail visits or other work-related business. You will be required to travel. You’ll make regular day trips (and some overnight travel) in order to investigate cases, appear for court, and meet with your clients. These trips will be throughout Eastern Washington and North/Central Idaho, but may also take you to other places as well.
To apply. If you’re interested in applying to join our team, please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample (10 page limit), as well as a list of three professional references, to the following e mail:
Email: [email protected]
Subject Line: Trial Attorney-Spokane
With respect to your resume, please include details about your bar license (state, number and admittance date); and with respect to your writing sample, please indicate whether the sample was edited by others. Preference will be given to applications received by July 10, 2023.
No need to call us to check on your application, we’ll contact applicants who are selected for an interview.