Associate Deputy Public Defender

About Our Job

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The starting pay range is $109,134.00 - $144,603.00 a year based on your experience. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but is not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service 
• 457B Retirement Plan 
• 132 hours of PTO earned within first year
• 11 Paid Holidays per year, plus 1 personal holiday, and 8 hours of Denver Good Deeds volunteer time
• Education Refund Program (ERP) - a chance for the city to support your continued learning and career growth by investing in your future with the city
• Care Bank – 8 weeks of Paid Family Leave (after the probation period is passed)
• Free RTD Eco Pass
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date 

Location & Schedule

In this position you will work on site at the Office of the Municipal Public Defender, at: 710 W Colfax, Denver CO 80204. This position will be 100% onsite from 8:00AM – 5:00PM with flexible work hours as needed.

Who We Are

The Office of the Municipal Public Defender has been in existence since January 1, 2015, and is overseen by the City's Chief Municipal Public Defender. This office ensures that persons accused of municipal ordinance violations receive premier representation and we exist to protect the lives and dignity of those who are indigent. The Municipal Public Defender's Office provides skilled, zealous, and holistic support to clients accused of crimes in Denver Municipal Court who are facing the possibility of jail for traffic offenses, municipal ordinance violations, and specialty courts. We also represent youth who are charged with municipal violations. We are excited to invite applications for our Associate Deputy Public Defender.

We appreciate your interest and are excited for the opportunity to build a strong team of Public Defenders for the City and County of Denver

In this role, you will be responsible for:

• Serving as a team lead or mentor to less experienced and newly hired public defender staff, and modeling best practices within the Municipal Public Defender’s Office
• Representing defendants in municipal ordinance and traffic cases of increasing complexity, and participating on problem-solving court teams
• Providing legal representation, advice and consultation to defendants assigned to the Municipal Public Defender's Office including providing representation in all phases of litigation from arraignment, through plea negotiation to trial and appeals
• Preparing pleadings and documents, motions, and orders
• Performing legal research and writing appeals 
• Interviewing clients in court, in the office, and in detention facilities to gather information in preparation for pretrial motions and trial
• Litigating all manner of motions, including constitutional issues, evidentiary issues, and procedural issues
• Performing other duties as assigned

What You’ll Bring

Our ideal candidate will have/be: 

• A license to practice law in Colorado from the Colorado Supreme Court
• A strong passion for public defense and a desire to be a litigator
• Minimum of three years of courtroom litigation experience with first chair jury trial experience
• Experience within the Denver County Court System
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities
• Experience working with indigent populations

Required Minimum Qualifications

We realize your time is valuable so please do not apply if you do not have at least the following required minimum qualifications:

• Education requirement: Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree
• Experience requirement: Two (2) years practicing criminal law
• Education & Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted
• Licensure & Certification: Possession of a license to practice law in Colorado from the Colorado Supreme Court by the date of hire or a reasonable expectation of becoming licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court by the date of hire in accordance with C.R.C.P. 203.2, 203.3, 203.4 and 205.6. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment. Requires valid driver's license at the time of application or the ability to obtain transportation to jail or prison facilities in surrounding area.

Required Documents

In order to be considered, please include the following on your job application (upload the attachment(s) to the Resume/CV section on the My Experience tab): 

• Resume - required
• Cover letter – required

Application Deadline 

This position is expected to stay open until Sunday, February 1, 2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than February 1, 2026. at 11:59PM.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

CL2883 Deputy Public Defender Associate

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type

Unlimited

Position Salary Range

$109,134.00 - $180,071.00

Target Pay

$109,134.00 - $144,603.00/yearly, based on education and experience

Agency

Office of Municipal Public Defender

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. 

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.