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 POSITIONThe 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 QUALIFICATIONSDEPUTY PUBLIC DEFENDER ILicense/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 INFORMATIONFor 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 INFORMATIONVeteran'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 AccommodationsThe 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:
Work Location and TeleworkIn-person attendance is the standard work expectation for County of Riverside assignments. Certain assignments may be eligible for a hybrid telework schedule; however, telework arrangements are subject to management approval, operational needs, and/or may be modified or discontinued at any time. Employees who telework are expected to be able to report to their assigned worksite on short notice or as operational needs require. Unless otherwise specified for a particular position, employees are expected to reside in California following appointment. Limited exceptions may apply. Applicants should contact the assigned recruiter for additional information regarding work location expectations, telework eligibility, and residency requirements.
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 RequirementApplicants 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.
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 obtai
