Appellate Attorney

Location : 633 3rd Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001About 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 cases 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, 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. PDS recognizes creditable federal 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 PDS Appellate Division litigates the appeals (and sometimes collateral proceedings related to appeals) generated by PDS’s trial and other divisions, participates as amicus curiae in cases involving novel or complex legal issues, and provides legal advice, assistance, and training to other PDS divisions and Criminal Justice Act (CJA) attorneys. The majority of the Division’s work consists of direct criminal appeals in the D.C. Court of Appeals, our highest court. The Division has approximately sixteen lawyers, a paralegal, and an office manager. Lawyers are committed to providing their clients with the highest level of written and oral advocacy. Cases are closely supervised and extensively vetted, and rigorous moot courts precede all oral arguments.Position Description : Appellate Division attorneys litigate cases primarily in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and at times in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia ancillary to appellate representation. They must be able to work well with clients, write a substantial number of appellate briefs each year, and present effective oral arguments. Other responsibilities include participating in moot courts for other division lawyers, collaborating with colleagues in and outside the Appellate Division, and advising and training PDS and CJA attorneys. In addition to the traditional menu of criminal, juvenile delinquency and mental health appeals, appellate division lawyers can expect to work on appeals from the Superior Court denials of Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act motions. This is a full-time permanent position. Due to the nature of the position, appellate attorneys are often required to work nights, weekends and other non-traditional schedules. Currently, appellate 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. This is not a remote location position.Required Qualifications : Excellent research, writing, and oral persuasion skills. Staff attorneys are required to make a three-year commitment to the division.Bar Membership and Eligibility Required : Applicant must (1) be a member of the D.C. Bar; OR (2) be a member of another state bar and, at the time they submit their application for this position, meet the qualifications for admission to the D.C. Bar pursuant to either paragraph (ii) or (iv) of D.C. Court of Appeals Rule 46(b)(1)(B); OR (3) have a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school and, at the time they submit their application for this position, their first application for admission to the bar in a UBE-jurisdiction is pending. D.C. Bar membership or eligibility should be specifically addressed in the cover letter.Application Evaluation : Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted. The anticipated start date is October 6, 2025 (negotiable).Pay Series : Salary Range PDS-AD 11 / 12 / 13 / 14Compensation : Position Classification : Exempt$83,830 - $136,780How to Apply : Applicants must submit : (1) a cover letter, (2) a resume that includes a list of three references (name, address, telephone number, and a statement of how each reference is able to evaluate your skills), (3) a legal writing sample, preferably a brief or other advocacy piece, (4) a response to the question (no more than three double-spaced typewritten pages) : Why do you want to be an appellate public defender?, and (5) a law school transcript.

• All materials must be submitted online as a consolidated PDF. If you are unable to apply through the portal or have questions about the position or our office, contact : Jennifer Thomas, Director of Legal Recruitingjenthomas@pdsdc.org(202) 480-0385
• An unofficial law school transcript is acceptable for this application stage. Candidates invited to interview will be asked to provide an official transcript.PDS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and E-Verify Participant.#J-18808-Ljbffr

Salary : $83,830 - $136,780