Employment Opportunities for Students and Alumni

Added July 6, 2026

 

Deputy Public Defender - Extra Help

Salary $67.30 - 114.44 per hour

 

This extra-help (temporary) Deputy Public Defender position can be filled at the I, II, III, or IV level, depending on the candidate's qualifications. As attorneys gain experience and meet or exceed performance standards, they are eligible for promotion to subsequent levels in the series, up to level IV. If you are interested in being considered at the various levels of this opportunity, you must apply to the separate, concurrent recruitments being conducted for those levels.

 

The Public Defender's Office

The Sonoma County Public Defender's Office is committed to providing excellent legal representation and zealous advocacy for individuals who are financially unable to retain counsel and who are entitled to court appointed counsel under the United States and California Constitutions or by statute. The Office represents persons charged with misdemeanor and felony criminal offenses. Additionally, the Office provides representation in juvenile delinquency proceedings, mental health proceedings, conservatorships, contempt matters, and probate and welfare proceedings where the law provides for appointed counsel.

 

Minimum Qualifications

Professional License: Current active membership in the State Bar of California.

 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: duties, powers, limitations, and authorities of the Office of the Public Defender; principles of criminal law, principles of trial procedure and rules of evidence; legal research methods and judicial procedures; statutory and constitutional laws of the State of California; written and oral communications, including language mechanics, syntax and English composition.

 

Ability to: research, analyze and apply legal principles, facts, evidence and precedents to legal problems; prepare and present statements of law, fact and argument clearly, logically and persuasively in written and oral form; establish and maintain effective working relationships with other staff members, departmental representatives, county officials, the courts, law enforcement agency officials, and the general public; understand and accept differences in human behavior, and cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

 

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

•  Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.

•  You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.

•  You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.

•  Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

 

What We Offer

The County of Sonoma offers opportunities for growth, rewarding work that serves the community, flexible work arrangements, and excellent benefits.

 

Learn more and apply:  https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sonoma

 

The County of Sonoma is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and are committed to having a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve.

 

 

Posted 6/23/26

Associate Attorney

Apply: Send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to lauren@teuklaw.com.

The Opportunity

I’m a solo plaintiff-side employment lawyer in Los Angeles, and I’m hiring a full-time litigation associate. My firm represents employees in discrimination, sexual harassment, wage theft, and whistleblower cases, handling both individual matters and wage-and-hour class actions. I only represent employees, never employers. The work is genuinely interesting and frequently involves cutting-edge issues, and we often partner with nonprofits and labor unions. You can see our work at www.teuklaw.com.

What You’ll Actually Do

• Draft complaints, discovery, and motions (and argue those motions in court)

• Take and defend depositions

• Meet with clients and interview witnesses

• Attend mediations, and assist with trials and arbitration hearings

• Draft appellate papers (I serve on CELA’s Amicus Committee, so strong writers will have opportunities for appellate work)

• Once you’re ready, manage all aspects of your cases (with support from me)

Who We’re Looking For

• 0–5 years of experience: litigation experience is a plus, but I’ll consider anyone in that range

• An active California bar license (or waiting for Bar results)

• A strong researcher and writer

• A commitment to social justice

• Comfortable with conflict. Litigation involves it, so this isn’t the role for someone who is conflict-averse

• Comfortable with technology and data (we look at a lot of time and pay records)

• Willing to network and bring in new cases

• Spanish fluency is a plus, but not required

What We Offer

• $85,000–$120,000 starting salary, depending on experience

• Discretionary bonuses when we recover fees

• A percentage of fees on any case you bring to the firm

• Three weeks of paid vacation

• 10 paid holidays plus two paid floating holidays

• 401(k) (eligible after one year)

• Assistance with health insurance premiums

• Funded professional development (I’ll pay for conferences and activities that interest you)

• Encouragement to speak and write on employment issues; I’m a frequent speaker and will push opportunities your way

• A great Pasadena corner office with lots of natural light, right across from Urth Caffe

• Casual, comfortable dress • No billable hours requirement, low case volume

Why This Work?

You’ll get hands-on responsibility and real courtroom experience early, with direct mentorship from me. We fight for employees against the employers that wronged them; work that actually matters, on cases worth caring about.

Not for You If

• You’re looking for remote work - this is an in-person role in our Pasadena office

• You’re very conflict-averse

• You’d rather keep your head down than ever bring in a case of your own

How to Apply

Send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to lauren@teuklaw.com. The writing sample should be something you wrote that hasn’t been edited by someone else (or only lightly edited).