Careers in Michigan Public Defense

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Overview

Michigan is an exciting place for a career in public service.  We are proud to serve as a national leader in criminal legal system reform, investing hundreds of millions of dollars annually to ensure that people who are unable to afford counsel and charged with crimes have resources for a fair trial.  Below you will find links to employment opportunities with our office and with local funding units.  The MIDC is happy to provide external links as a courtesy but we are not responsible for the content, application, or hiring process offered by our partners.  Please refer to the contact in each post for further information.

If you have an opportunity you would like to post here, please send it to Marla McCowan at McCowanM@michigan.gov.  We will advertise for 30 days unless requested otherwise.

For additional postings, please see the State Bar of Michigan’s website and the Michigan One Court of Justice website.

MIDC Open PositionsPublic Defense PositionsInternship Opportunities

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  • Special Assignment Team

    Bridging the Justice Gap: Connecting Criminal Defense Attorneys with Rural Communities

    Rural areas in Michigan face a critical shortage of criminal defense attorneys, leaving residents without adequate legal aid when they need it most.  Please consider joining a new and unique program that connects experienced criminal defense attorneys from Michigan’s more populous regions with underserved rural communities.

    Read the flyer here.

    Visit www.mispecialassignment.com for more information or contact mike@mispecialassignment.com.

  • Appellate Defender - State Appellate Defender Office

    The Appellate Defender is responsible for funding, policy, and leadership of Michigan’s statewide appellate defense system — which includes felony criminal appeals, youth appellate defense, and representation of individuals unconstitutionally sentenced to life without parole as children and teenagers. SADO has a growing staff of more than 90 employees and an assigned counsel roster of 125 attorneys, who together represent over 3,000 people each year. The full job posting is available here.
    To learn more about SADO and its current operations, see this recent article from our Criminal Defense Newsletter.
    Read more about why SADO is a great place to work here, and why we think you’d like it here.
    View all current career openings and sign up to receive notification of future career postings here.

  • Assistant Defender - Northeast Michigan Regional Defender Office

    The Northeast Michigan Regional Defender Office is a non-profit organization established for the purpose of representing indigent adults charged with crimes within Alpena, Montmorency, and Oscoda Counties. The office practices a holistic model of representation, integrated with local human service organizations to attend to the whole client, beyond the strict confines of a particular criminal charge.

    See the positions available here.

  • Assistant Public Defender - Van Buren County

    Van Buren County is seeking qualified candidates to serve as an Assistant Public Defender for the Van Buren County Public Defender’s Office. Assistant Public Defenders provide legal representation to indigent defendants charged with criminal offenses in Van Buren County District and Circuit Courts. This is an exempt level position with excellent benefits, including health, life, disability, paid time off and holidays. Prior criminal law experience is not required. Recent law school graduates or candidates awaiting MI Bar results are encouraged to apply! For additional information, please visit www.vanburencountymi.gov or contact the Van Buren County Public Defender’s Office via phone at (269) 400-4451 or email at publicdefender@vanburencountymi.gov.

    Read the full post here.

  • Senior Assistant Public Defender - Marquette County

    Under the supervision of the Chief Public Defender, the Senior Assistant Public Defender serves as attorney for indigent clients throughout Marquette County and as an advocate for indigent defense. The Assistant Public Defender performs legal research using electronic and on line tools, handles cases in District and Circuit Court, and provides representation of individuals on the arraignment docket. This position may handle other cases as directed by the Chief Public Defender. The Assistant Public Defender shall advocate in the best interest for clients while providing quality legal representation for defendants without means to retain legal counsel, after being charged with criminal or civil violations. They shall serve as a case-review team leader and mentor for other Assistant Public Defenders.

    Find opportunities in Marquette here.

  • Capital Trial Attorney - Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit

    THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE is building a community-based, client-centered, holistic public defense office in Wayne County and we invite you to join our team as we represent our clients with excellence. Building on 30 years of experience of providing high quality representation, we are expanding our efforts to bring the same caliber of representation to the communities of Wayne County. We are seeking a team of highly organized, self-driven, and resilient individuals dedicated to our mission. The Criminal Defense Practice at NDS Detroit will represent residents of Wayne County who are charged with felony crimes and cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Clients are represented by teams composed of lawyers, investigators, social workers, client advocates, and team administrators. NDS adheres to a client-centered approach to representation that emphasizes a heightened responsiveness to clients’ needs prior to arrest, while a case is pending, and after the case concludes.  NDS is committed to addressing the comprehensive legal and social service needs of clients while treating each client with dignity and respect.

    The Capital Trial Staff Attorney demonstrates a commitment to serving marginalized persons and communities and an enthusiasm for holistic defense. The ideal Staff Attorney is an experienced felony trial attorney who demonstrates a commitment to serving marginalized persons and communities, preferably with experience in a public defender office, in a public interest organization, or in the indigent criminal defense context. The Staff Attorney will help shape our present and future—contributing to a collaborative environment and culture of excellence in alignment with our values. At NDS Detroit, how we represent our clients is as important as individual case outcomes and our ideal Staff Attorney approaches the cultivation of a positive office culture and the representation of indigent clients with equal rigor and commitment.

    See the full post here.

  • Staff Attorney - Bay County

    Under the general supervision of the Chief Defense Attorney, serves as the legal representative of indigent persons charged with criminal offenses in Bay County. Represents clients accused of felony and misdemeanor offenses. Prepares case materials and participates in all court proceedings until final disposition of case.
    Read the full post here.

  • Assistant Public Defender - Berrien County

    Established in 2017, the Berrien County Public Defender Office is staffed by a team of full time defenders with a roster of independent conflict panel defense attorneys committed to the Standards for Indigent Defense as provided by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission. The Office’s interdisciplinary team of professionals adheres to the holistic defense model, providing not only the highest quality representation for clients as they face criminal charges, but also seeking to obtain the best possible outcomes for clients by providing social support and connecting clients with local social support services.

    Information about available positions here:

    Assistant Defender I

    Assistant Defender II

    Assistant Defender III

  • Deputy Public Defender - Chippewa County

    Chippewa County is seeking a full-time Deputy Public Defender who will, under the supervision of the Chief Public Defender, provide legal representation to indigent Chippewa County persons charged with a criminal offense in District Court, Circuit Court, and Friend of the Court collection matters.

    Read the full post here.

  • Assistant Public Defender - Eaton County

    Under the supervision of the Public Defender and Chief Assistant Public Defender, provides legal representation for defendants without means to retain legal counsel, after being charged in the District and Circuit courts.

    Read the full post here.

  • Assistant Public Defender - Kalamazoo Defender

    Kalamazoo Defender is a non-profit organization that serves as Kalamazoo County’s public defender office.  Our approach is holistic, employing social workers and coordinating service providers to address clients’ collateral issues. Kalamazoo Defender’s mission is rooted in the conviction that poverty and various forms of discrimination put our clients on inequitable footing within and beyond our criminal justice system.  We are their zealous advocate in court and in the community, representing them as a whole person entitled to dignity, respect and compassion. This position will be filled with an attorney ready to confront both the challenges facing our clients in a specific case and the systemic barriers within the criminal system that interfere with reaching the best outcomes for society.

    Read about opportunities in Kalamazoo here.

  • Associate Defender - Manistee Regional Public Defender Office

    Under the direction and supervision of the Chief Public Defender, serves as the attorney of record for indigent defendants in criminal cases ensuring that Manistee and Benzie Counties meet all constitutional and legislative requirements as they pertain to the representation of indigent adult defendants.

    Read the full post here.

  • Assistant Public Defender - St. Clair County

    The St. Clair County Office of the Public Defender is seeking an attorney, including law school graduates who are currently studying for or have taken the bar exam. Our office provides indigent defense services for clients in St. Clair County. This is a criminal defense position, with some flexibility for remote work.

    Read the full post here.

  • Assistant Public Defender - Washtenaw County

    The Washtenaw County Office of the Public Defender is seeking an experienced trial lawyer to fill the role of Assistant Public Defender. As an assistant trial lawyer to the county Chief Public Defender, under either general or direct supervision of supervisory staff, this position serves as an integral part of a legal defense team. This position provides legal representation on behalf of all defendants, including juveniles, charged with criminal or civil violations who are assessed by the courts as being without sufficient resources to retain legal counsel.

    Check out more opportunities available in Washtenaw County Washtenaw County – Job Postings (ewashtenaw.org) and here is the direct link for the application Washtenaw County – Online Application for Employment (ewashtenaw.org)

  • Staff Attorney - Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit

    THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE is building a community-based, client-centered, holistic public defense office in Wayne County and we invite you to join our team as we represent our clients with excellence. Building on 30 years of experience of providing high quality representation, we are expanding our efforts to bring the same caliber of representation to the communities of Wayne County. We are seeking a team of highly organized, self-driven, and resilient individuals dedicated to our mission. The Criminal Defense Practice at NDS Detroit will represent residents of Wayne County who are charged with felony crimes and cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Clients are represented by teams composed of lawyers, investigators, social workers, client advocates, and team administrators. NDS adheres to a client-centered approach to representation that emphasizes a heightened responsiveness to clients’ needs prior to arrest, while a case is pending, and after the case concludes.  NDS is committed to addressing the comprehensive legal and social service needs of clients while treating each client with dignity and respect.

    The Staff Attorney demonstrates a commitment to serving marginalized persons and communities and an enthusiasm for holistic defense. The ideal Staff Attorney is an experienced felony trial attorney who demonstrates a commitment to serving marginalized persons and communities, preferably with experience in a public defender office, in a public interest organization, or in the indigent criminal defense context. The Staff Attorney will help shape our present and future—contributing to a collaborative environment and culture of excellence in alignment with our values. At NDS Detroit, how we represent our clients is as important as individual case outcomes and our ideal Staff Attorney approaches the cultivation of a positive office culture and the representation of indigent clients with equal rigor and commitment.

    See the full post here.

The Michigan Holistic Defense Fellowship is recruiting six law fellows for placement at Allegan, Calhoun, Genesee, Macomb, Marquette, and Wexford-Missaukee Counties for Summer 2025. The Fellowship is designed to strengthen the practice of Michigan’s public defense system by exposing law and social work fellows to holistic representation in order to teach the skills necessary to become effective holistic practitioners. Law students of all levels are encouraged to apply.
Please direct questions to Fellowship Director Cassidy Berlin at cberlin@mqtco.org.

The Saginaw Defenders Office has an internship program for college students, law schools students, and recent law school graduates.  The Internship Programs is very much a hands-on experience.

Please check the Defender Office’s website for details.

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Email us anytime at:
lara-midc-Info@michigan.gov
Phone: (517) 657-3066

611 W. Ottawa Street,
4th Floor
Lansing, MI 48933

Monday-Friday: 9am to 5pm
Saturday & Sunday: By Appointment Only

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