- Optional remote/hybrid activities
- No, Just use UW Academic Calendar
- No
- No
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- No
- No
- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No
- Yes
- Yes
- Abuse/Family Violence/Domestic Violence
- Addiction
- Adolescents
- Adults
- Community/Coalitions
- Community Mental Health
- Criminal Justice/Decarceration
- Developmental Disabilities
- Diverse Culture and Ethnic Populations
- Homelessness/Anti-Poverty
- LGBTQTSI
- Mental Health
- Older Adults/Seniors
- Organizations/Development
- Social Justice, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Description
Brave Advocacy, No Judgment, and Fierce Connections. These are the core tenets of Snohomish County Public Defender Association (SCPDA)’s mission to provide the highest quality legal representation to people facing loss of liberty pursuant to criminal and civil laws while working to become an antiracist organization. As Defenders we uphold this mission and exhibit these tenets through client-centered advocacy and collaboration with community stakeholders.
Located in Everett just north of Seattle, SCPDA is a private, non-profit law office, incorporated under the laws of the State of Washington. SCPDA is primarily funded from indigent defense contracts with Snohomish County, Skagit County, Tulalip Cares, and other counties and municipalities and the State of Washington. The goal of the Association is to provide the highest quality of legal representation to all its clients. Clients of SCPDA include:
• Adults and juveniles charged with felonies and misdemeanors
• Adults facing civil commitment pursuant to RCW 71.05 and RCW 71.09
• Adults appealing misdemeanor convictions to Superior Court
• Adults and juveniles facing incarceration in contempt proceedings
Micro
Field practicum students will work in collaboration with a team of Defenders including attorneys, social workers, investigators, and legal assistants to support better legal outcomes for SCPDA clients. Students will engage in client-centered advocacy designed to promote liberty and counteract the dehumanizing effects of the criminal legal system. Students will have opportunities to practice individualized client advocacy in a variety of ways including:
• Interviewing clients for a variety of purposes. Interviews will range from brief needs assessments and goal development to lengthy biopsychosocial assessments for mitigation purposes.
• Helping clients access housing, shelter, treatment, case management, benefits, financial assistance, and family/peer
support.
• Gathering additional information about client histories through interviews with family members, service providers, and other community members.
• Obtaining, reviewing, and interpreting medical, educational, legal, and occupational records in support of mitigation efforts.
• Advocating for clients in the criminal justice system by investigating, developing, and presenting information that
supports a better outcome for the client, including alternatives to incarceration, therapeutic courts, and exceptional sentences. In rare cases, this may include testifying in court.
• Incorporating clinical knowledge of trauma, mental illness, and addiction into advocacy letters/mitigation reports when applicable.
• Using professional, trauma-informed, and empathetic communication skills with clients, many of whom suffer from trauma and/or mental illness
• Advocating for client's stated interests and maintaining strict confidentiality pursuant to the Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers and legal teams.
Mezzo
Students will have a variety of opportunities to engage in mezzo practice including but not limited to:
• Participating in SCPDA’s Antiracism Committee to further the organization’s goals of providing client-centered representation
through an anti-racist perspective and integrating anti-racism into all aspects of public defense work.
• Attending regular trainings and presentations with intersecting issues of law, health, social justice, and public policy.
• Mapping local resources and expanding client access to health care and social services.
• Joining community stakeholder groups and advocating for the interests of public defense clients and attending social work unit team meetings weekly.
• Working as a part of an interdisciplinary team of attorneys, legal assistants, and investigators to provide holistic and client-centered advocacy.
Macro
As an organization, we recognize that the criminal legal system is built on a foundation of racism and systemic violence. While we must work within the system as it exists today to obtain the best outcomes for our clients, we also work to:
• Dismantle the systems that oppress our clients, and to disrupt mass incarceration wherever possible.
• Advocate for therapeutic and restorative processes that will allow our clients to succeed over carceral sentences.
• We also advocate reducing the harm and reach of the criminal legal system and civil legal systems that restrict our clients’
liberties and to address systemic racism. We strive to create a flexible workplace culture that is inclusive, respectful, and
supportive, premised on a shared anti-oppression framework.
• Social work students will continue to work on areas of unconscious biases in themselves and others, and to learn how these biases impact our clients. Students will be encouraged to pursue research into systemic racism and oppression, mass incarceration, and the criminalization of suffering (i.e. poverty, homelessness, addiction, mental illness, trauma). Students will also be encouraged to incorporate relevant research about systemic harms and failures into mitigation reports/advocacy letters.
Additional Perks or Funding
Working with a phenomenal group of defenders in a non-traditional kind of social work! (Lots of snacks and goodies provided by SCPDA as well)
Required Experience
There is no relevant professional experience required.
Students should have the ability and willingness to:
• Communicate effectively and professionally, both verbally and in writing with colleagues, clients, court staff, and members of the community.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of defenders to achieve the best outcomes for our clients.
• Learn new skills and job duties efficiently, including familiarizing themselves with the legal system.
• Passionately pursue social justice, anti-racism, and intersectional advocacy in defense of people charged with all kinds of crimes, including violent or sexual offenses.
• Curiously explore and incorporate perspectives different from their own.
Required/Preferred Languages
Must be able to communicate verbally and in writing in English; fluency in other languages is wonderful but not required.
How to Apply
SCPDA uses BambooHR to process employment and internship applications. Please apply at this link: https://snocopda.bamboohr.com/careers/136
The application will require students to upload a letter of interest, resume, and writing sample.
If there are any questions or problems when submitting an application, please contact:
Chelaina Crews, MSW
Social Work Unit Supervisor
Snohomish County Public Defender Association
2722 Colby Ave, Ste 200
Everett, WA 98201
Cell Phone: (360) 206-9775
Office Phone: (425) 339-6300 ext 552
Email: ccrews@snocopda.org