Special Litigation Attorney

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Open Date: May 6, 2025
Close Date: May 24, 2025
Position Type: Attorney Full-Time
Job Vacancy #: PDS-2025-24
Location: 633 3rd Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

About The Job

PDS Overview:

The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) is a federally funded, independent organization governed by an eleven-member Board of Trustees. PDS provides legal representation to individuals who are facing a loss of liberty in criminal, delinquency, and mental health justice matters in the local District of Columbia justice system but who are financially unable to obtain adequate representation. PDS’s staff consists of approximately 100 attorneys and approximately 100 social workers, investigators, administrative, and technical staff. Most employees work at the main office at 633 3rd Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. District of Columbia residency is not a requirement for employment. PDS is funded by federal appropriations, and all employees are entitled to participate in certain federal benefit plans: health and life insurance, federal retirement, and the Thrift Savings Plan. Employees with creditable federal service will receive recognition of that service for leave accrual and retirement purposes.
Employment at the Public Defender Service is at will and is neither federal nor District of Columbia government employment.

Division Overview:

The Special Litigation Division of the Public Defender Service is dedicated to addressing recurring and systemic violations of our clients’ rights to fair trials and fair treatment. The Division engages in a wide variety of criminal and civil litigation in local and federal courts. Currently the Division is focused on several issues, including adult sentences imposed on people who committed crimes when they were adolescents, unconstitutional conditions imposed on pretrial detainees and prisoners, police misconduct, and government failures to disclose exculpatory evidence.

Position Description:

SLD attorneys litigate criminal and civil cases in local and federal courts, conduct trainings, work on legislative reform, and act as consultants to attorneys in the other divisions of PDS. The attorney’s duties will include drafting substantive trial, post-conviction, and appellate pleadings and presenting oral arguments; working with trial lawyers in on-going criminal litigation; engaging in extensive legal research; factual investigation and development; working with scientific experts and other consultants; conducting evidentiary hearings; and presenting training sessions for PDS and Criminal Justice Act attorneys. The attorney’s caseload will be primarily resentencing litigation pursuant to the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act and/or compassionate release litigation. SLD attorneys must have excellent research and writing skills, be creative and persuasive oral and written advocates, and enjoy working collaboratively and with active supervision.

This is a full-time permanent position. Due to the nature of the position, special litigation attorneys are often required to work nights, weekends, and other non-traditional schedules. Currently, special litigation lawyers are required to work in-office at least three days a week and may work remotely only up to two days a week. Absent unusual circumstances, certain duties must be performed in person, such as oral arguments, moot courts, and visiting detention facilities. For this position, it will be the responsibility of the attorney to ensure that any remote work they perform complies with the ethical and practice requirements of the remote jurisdiction.

Required Qualifications:

J.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited law school; excellent research, writing, and oral persuasion skills.
Must be a member of the DC Bar or eligible to become a member by December 31, 2025. Eligibility information is available at D.C. App. R. 46. D.C. Bar membership eligibility should be addressed in the cover letter.

Pay Series:

PDS 11/12/13 

Compensation:

$83,830  - $119,482 per year

How to Apply:

Applicants must submit: (1) a cover letter that explains why you want to work at the Special Litigation Division of the Public Defender Service; (2) a resume; (3) a list of three references (name, e-mail address, telephone number, and a brief statement of how each reference is able to evaluate your skills); (4) a legal writing sample, preferably a brief or other advocacy piece; and (5) a law school transcript.* All materials must be submitted online as a consolidated PDF through the PDS employment web portal below.

If you are unable to apply through the portal, would like assistance applying, or have questions about the position, contact:
Jennifer Thomas, Director of Legal Recruiting
[email protected]
(202) 824-2337
* An unofficial transcript is acceptable.

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Disclaimer

The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) is a federally funded, independent organization; governed by an eleven-member Board of Trustees, PDS provides legal representation to individuals facing a loss of freedom in the local criminal, delinquency, and mental health systems in the District of Columbia. PDS’s approximately 275 attorneys, social workers, investigative specialists, administrative, and technical staff collaborate with each other to advance the PDS mission. PDS’s main office is located at 633 3rd Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. District of Columbia residency is not a requirement for employment. PDS is funded by federal appropriations, and all employees are entitled to participate in the federal health and life insurance plans, the federal retirement plans (FERS, FERS-RAE, FERS-FRAE, CSRS, CSRS-Offset), and the Thrift Savings Plan. Transferring employees will receive recognition of creditable federal service for leave accrual and retirement purposes. Employment at PDS is neither federal nor District of Columbia government employment, and all employees are at-will.

PDS is an E-Verify participating agency. Please see the Right to Work Poster and the E-Verify Participation Poster for more information.

 

PDS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and E-Verify Participant.