Become An Assistant Public Defender
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Working As An Assistant Public Defender
- Getting Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
Mostly Sitting
Make Decisions
Stressful
$115,820
Average Salary
What Does An Assistant Public Defender Do
How To Become An Assistant Public Defender
All lawyers must have a law degree and must also typically pass a state’s written bar examination.
EducationBecoming a lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school—4 years of undergraduate study, followed by 3 years of law school. Most states and jurisdictions require lawyers to complete a juris doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). ABA accreditation signifies that the law school—particularly its curricula and faculty—meets certain standards.
A bachelor’s degree is required for entry into most law schools, and courses in English, public speaking, government, history, economics, and mathematics are useful.
Almost all law schools, particularly those approved by the ABA, require applicants to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). This test measures applicants’ aptitude for the study of law.
A J.D. degree program includes courses such as constitutional law, contracts, property law, civil procedure, and legal writing. Law students may choose specialized courses in areas such as tax, labor, and corporate law.
LicensesProspective lawyers take licensing exams called "bar exams." When a lawyer receives their license to practice law, they are "admitted to the bar."
To practice law in any state, a person must be admitted to the state’s bar under rules established by the jurisdiction’s highest court. The requirements vary by individual states and jurisdictions. For more details on individual state and jurisdiction requirements, visit the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
Most states require that applicants graduate from an ABA-accredited law school, pass one or more written bar exams, and be found by an admitting board to have the character to represent and advise others. Prior felony convictions, academic misconduct, or a history of substance abuse are just some factors that may disqualify an applicant from being admitted to the bar.
Lawyers who want to practice in more than one state often must take the bar exam in each state.
After graduation, lawyers must keep informed about legal developments that affect their practices. Almost all states require lawyers to participate in continuing legal education either every year or every 3 years.
Many law schools and state and local bar associations provide continuing legal education courses that help lawyers stay current with recent developments. Courses vary by state and generally cover a subject within the practice of law, such as legal ethics, taxes and tax fraud, and healthcare. Some states allow lawyers to take their continuing education credits through online courses.
AdvancementNewly hired attorneys usually start as associates and work with more experienced lawyers. After several years, some lawyers may be admitted to partnership of their firm, which means they become partial owners of the firm.
After gaining a few years of work experience, some lawyers go into practice for themselves or move to the legal department of a large corporation. Very few in-house attorneys are hired directly out of law school.
A small number of experienced lawyers are nominated or elected to judgeships. Other lawyers may become full-time law school faculty and administrators. For more information about judges and law school faculty, see the profile on judges and hearing officers and the profile on postsecondary teachers.
Other ExperienceLaw students often gain practical experience by participating in school-sponsored legal clinics, in a school’s moot court competitions, in practice trials under the supervision of experienced lawyers and judges, and through research and writing on legal issues for a school’s law journals.
Part-time jobs or summer internships in law firms, government agencies, and corporate legal departments also provide valuable experience. Some smaller firms, government agencies, and public interest organizations may hire students as summer associate interns after they have completed their first year at law school. Many larger firms’ summer internship programs are only eligible to law students who have completed their second year. These experiences can help law students decide what kind of legal work they want to focus on in their careers, and these internships may lead directly to a job after graduation.
Important QualitiesAnalytical skills. Lawyers help their clients resolve problems and issues. As a result, they must be able to analyze large amounts of information, determine relevant facts, and propose viable solutions.
Interpersonal skills. Lawyers must win the respect and confidence of their clients by building a trusting relationship, so that clients feel comfortable enough to share personal information related to their case.
Problem-solving skills. Lawyers must separate their emotions and prejudice from their clients’ problems and objectively evaluate the matter. Therefore, good problem-solving skills are important for lawyers, to prepare the best defense and recommendation.
Research skills. Preparing legal advice or representation for a client commonly requires substantial research. All lawyers need to be able to find what applicable laws and regulations apply to a specific matter.
Speaking skills. Clients hire lawyers to speak on their behalf. Lawyers must be able to clearly present and explain their case to arbitrators, mediators, opposing parties, judges, or juries.
Writing skills. Lawyers need to be precise and specific when preparing documents, such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.
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Assistant Public Defender jobs
Assistant Public Defender Typical Career Paths
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Assistant Federal Public Defender 4.6 years
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Assistant Prosecutor 4.3 years
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Assistant Prosecuting Attorney 4.0 years
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Assistant Public Defender 4.0 years
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Assistant State Attorney 3.6 years
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Assistant District Attorney 3.5 years
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Public Defender 2.7 years
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Law Clerk 19.3%
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Legal Extern 14.1%
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Attorney 9.4%
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Internship 8.2%
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Associate Attorney 7.4%
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Associate 6.4%
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Staff Attorney 4.4%
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Judicial Law Clerk 3.8%
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Judicial Internship 3.5%
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Student Attorney 3.1%
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Research Assistant 2.7%
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Law Internship 2.3%
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Contract Attorney 2.2%
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Summer Associate 2.0%
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Legal Assistant 1.9%
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Solo Practitioner 1.7%
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Paralegal 1.6%
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Attorney At Law 1.6%
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Attorney 19.4%
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Associate Attorney 13.0%
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Associate 7.2%
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Staff Attorney 6.3%
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Adjunct Professor 5.9%
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Contract Attorney 5.1%
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Solo Practitioner 4.6%
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Partner 4.5%
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General Counsel 3.6%
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Senior Attorney 3.4%
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Owner 2.6%
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Public Defender 2.6%
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Attorney At Law 2.5%
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Law Clerk 2.5%
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Attorney/Owner 2.4%
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Litigation Associate 2.1%
Average Length of Employment
Top Careers Before Assistant Public Defender
Top Careers After Assistant Public Defender
Assistant Public Defender Demographics
Gender
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Female
49.8% -
Male
47.2% -
Unknown
3.1%
Ethnicity
-
White
82.8% -
Hispanic or Latino
8.8% -
Asian
5.5% -
Unknown
2.3% -
Black or African American
0.7%
Languages Spoken
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Spanish
50.0% -
French
12.0% -
Portuguese
6.0% -
Hindi
6.0% -
Russian
2.0% -
Swedish
2.0% -
Chinese
2.0% -
Gujarati
2.0% -
German
2.0% -
Armenian
2.0% -
Greek
2.0% -
Hebrew
2.0% -
Mandarin
2.0% -
Urdu
2.0% -
Korean
2.0% -
Arabic
2.0% -
Italian
2.0%
Assistant Public Defender
Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.
Assistant Public Defender Education
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Thomas M. Cooley Law School
9.4% -
University of Miami
8.9% -
University of Florida
8.5% -
Florida State University
6.7% -
Temple University
5.8% -
John Marshall Law School
5.8% -
Emory University
4.9% -
Florida Coastal School of Law
4.9% -
Saint Thomas University
4.5% -
University of Memphis
4.0% -
Widener University-Delaware Law School
4.0% -
Georgetown University
4.0% -
Georgia State University
4.0% -
DePaul University
4.0% -
University of South Carolina - Columbia
3.6% -
University of Pittsburgh -
3.6% -
Washburn University of Topeka
3.6% -
University of Georgia
3.6% -
Florida International University
3.1% -
Duquesne University
3.1% -
Law 78.2%
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Criminal Justice 2.7%
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Political Science 2.3%
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Business 2.1%
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Journalism 1.3%
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School Counseling 0.8%
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Writing 0.8%
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English 0.8%
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Education 0.8%
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Psychology 0.7%
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Taxation 0.7%
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Legal Studies 0.7%
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History 0.5%
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Public Relations 0.5%
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Sociology 0.4%
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Marketing 0.4%
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Computer Science 0.4%
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Doctorate
83.2% -
Masters
6.8% -
Bachelors
5.0% -
Other
3.3% -
Certificate
1.3% -
Associate
0.4% -
Diploma
0.1%
Schools
Majors
Degrees
Assistant Public Defender
Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.
Real Assistant Public Defender Salaries
Job Title
|
Company
|
Location
|
Start Date
|
Salary
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Public Defender | State of Minnesota | MO | Nov 28, 2014 | $60,727 |
| Assistant Public Defender | State of Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN | Nov 28, 2014 | $60,727 |
| Assistant Public Defender | State of Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN | Nov 28, 2011 | $52,450 |
| Assistant Public Defender | Office of The Public Defender 12Th Circuit | Bradenton, FL | Feb 01, 2011 | $50,171 |
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Top Skills for An Assistant Public Defender
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Top Assistant Public Defender Skills
- Post-Trial Motions
- Felony Offenses
- Misdemeanor Offenses
- Filed pre-trial and post-trial motions and mitigation/sentencing memoranda, drafted demands for discovery, and conducted and defended depositions.
- Assist the Chief Public Defender represent indigent criminal defendants accused of serious felony offenses.
- Develop defense strategies to represent indigent individuals charged with both felony and misdemeanor offenses.
- Conducted 1 felony jury trial, 10 misdemeanor jury trials, and numerous bench trials and hearings on motions.
- Represented indigent clients charged with misdemeanor and felony criminal offenses in general district and circuit courts.
Top Assistant Public Defender Employers
Office of the Public Defender
Missouri State Public Defender
Missouri State Public Defender System
Public Defender's Office
Office of the Ohio Public Defender
Virginia Indigent Defense Commission
Wisconsin State Public Defender's Office
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