Salary : $90,000.00 - $118,037.45 Annually
Location : Throughout Riverside County
Job Type: Regular
Job Number: 26-78551-02
Department: Public Defender
Opening Date: 07/21/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

For questions regarding this position, please contact the Recruiter listed in the Supplemental Information section.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The County of Riverside's Law Offices of the Public Defender is seeking to fill vacancies in their Riverside, Murrieta, Banning, and Indio offices at the Deputy Public Defender I level. The incumbents will perform professional legal work in the misdemeanor unit and do other work as required.
Experience working in a law office is preferred. Candidates who are post-bar and awaiting their results are encouraged to apply.
Incumbents are employed in the Office of the Public Defender and are considered deputies to the Public Defender.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Interviews applicants for public defense and determines financial eligibility; advises and counsels defendants on legal rights and procedures.
• Investigates, researches, and prepares cases for the defense; presents and defends cases in the Justice, Municipal, and Superior Courts.
• Analyzes legal issues for pending cases; prepares trial briefs and checks questions of law; argues points of law and makes final arguments of summations.
• Negotiates with the prosecuting authorities regarding the disposition or modification of charges in specific cases; does legal research in the specific area of criminal law; prepares correspondence and reports.
• Reviews progress and development of cases with supervisory deputies.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
DEPUTY PUBLIC DEFENDER I

License/Certificate: Active membership in the State Bar of California. Candidates who are post-bar and awaiting their results are encouraged to apply.

Post-bar applicants must provide the date the bar was administered to be considered.
Knowledge of: Legal principles and their application; rules of evidence and the conduct of court proceedings; the laws of California.
Ability to: Analyze legal problems and apply legal principles and practices; present arguments and statements of fact and law clearly and logically in written and oral form; perform legal research; work cooperatively with others.

Other Requirements:
License/Certificate: Active membership in the State Bar of California. Post-bar, awaiting results will be considered as long as the date the test is administered is provided.

License: Possession of a valid California Driver's License is required.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
For questions regarding this recruitment:Contact the recruiter, Mary Miller, at 951-955-3464 or via email at with any questions regarding this recruitment. Please allow 1-2 business days for a response to general inquiries.
APPLICATION INFORMATION

Veteran's Preference
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, attach the required documents to your job application. Documents include a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service. For spousal preference, and as applicable, the following documents: a copy of your marriage certificate, spouse's death certificate, a letter of spouse's disability and/or letter of service-related death (if available) from the U.S. Veteran's Administration. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. For complete details and documentation requirements, please review the Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 here:
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at:
Proof of Education
If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services () or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ().
Work Authorization Requirement
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. The County of Riverside does not participate in visa sponsorship programs, including H1-B visas, and will not provide sponsorship for any employment-based visas.

BENEFIT PROGRAM: PR7
MEDICAL/DENTAL INSURANCE: A Flexible Benefit Credit is provided on a monthly basis as governed by the Management Resolution or applicable bargaining unit. Vision coverage is provided through Vision Service Plan (VSP) at no cost to employee or eligible dependents.

Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

• Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.
• Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.
• Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. As of July 1, 2020, the employee contribution is 7.25% and subject to change annually.

A new member is defined as any of the following:

1. A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who has no prior membership in any California Public Retirement System.
2. A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who was a member with another California Public Retirement System prior to that date, but who is not subject to reciprocity upon joining CalPERS.
3. A member who first established CalPERS membership prior to January 1, 2013, and who is rehired by a different CalPERS agency after a break in service of greater than six (6) months.

CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".

Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.
Note:

This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,
Option 2.

If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.

ANNUAL LEAVE (Bi-Weekly Accrual):

0 < 36 months = 8.92 Hours
36 to 108 or more months = 12.00 Hours

Maximum Annual leave accumulation is 2,080 hours. Employee may receive pay in lieu of up to 40 hours per calendar year. Agency/Department Head may approve an additional 40 hours.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.

401(a) MONEY PURCHASE PLAN: County contribution of $50 per pay period towards choice between two 401(a) plan providers.

HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 days can be taken through use of accrued leave balances)

BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.

LONG-TERM DISABILITY (LTD): Benefit pays 66.67% of earnings to a maximum of $10,000 per month; 30-day waiting period; pays to age 65. Benefit can be coordinated with other available leave balances to provide up to 100% of pay.

POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the Management Resolution or applicable bargaining unit.

OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, Management Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.
01

Do you have an active membership in the State Bar of California?

• Yes
• No
• I am post-bar, awaiting results

02

Select the answer that best describes your current driver license status:

• I have a valid California Class C license.
• I am able to obtain a valid California driver license.
• I currently have a valid out-of-state driver license, and am able to obtain a valid California driver license.
• I do not have and/or I am not able to obtain a California driver license.

03

How many years of experience in the practice of criminal and/or civil law do you possess?

• None
• Less than six months
• Six months or more, but less than one year
• One year or more, but less than two
• Two years or more, but less than three
• Three years or more, but less than four
• Four years or more, but less than five
• Five years or more, but less than six
• Six years or more

04

How many years of experience do you have working in