Job Details for Social Worker or Mitigation Specialist
| Court Name/Organization | Kansas Federal Public Defender |
| Overview of the Position | The Kansas Federal Public Defender (FPD) is accepting applications for a full-time social worker or mitigation specialist in the Topeka Office. The Kansas FPD provides legal representation to indigent clients in federal criminal cases and related matters. The FPD values hard work, diversity, teamwork, creativity, flexibility, and fairness. |
| Location | Topeka, KS |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 02/23/2026 - 03/13/2026 |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Salary | $62,000 - $127,000 |
| Link to Court Careers Information | https://ks.fd.org/join/employment |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
Social workers or mitigation specialists help our clients share their life experiences as they navigate through the federal criminal legal system. This work is crucial to pretrial release plans, negotiations, trial strategy, sentencing outcomes, and reentry plans. You will build trust with clients, families, and other life-history witnesses; gather and digest historical records (birth, education, health, employment, and so on); formally interview and informally consult with both laypeople and specialized professionals; connect clients with needed services; and collaborate with attorneys and investigators. Travel within the state and occasionally elsewhere will be required (office cars are available). You may sometimes be asked to testify in court. Attorneys with MSWs are encouraged to apply, as are MSWs with capital mitigation experience. Spanish fluency is a plus. Commitment to indigent defense is required. Residency requirements can be found here.
Qualifications
The successful applicant must:
- Have a bachelor’s degree in social work or social services; a master’s degree preferred
- Be committed to our mission
- Work well in a team environment
- Be committed to client confidentiality
- Be comfortable working closely with a diverse set of clients (often in jail and prison settings) and their families
- Have a valid driver’s license
- Demonstrate cultural sensitivity and have experience or interest in working with marginalized communities
- Have strong writing skills
- Be tech savvy with working knowledge of Adobe Acrobat, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word
- Be familiar with the criminal legal system
Employee Benefits
The salary ranges from $62,000 to $127,000 for a social worker and $62,000 to $146,000 for a social worker with a J.D., depending primarily on experience. The FPD also offers generous benefits:
- 11 paid holidays
- Possible public service loan forgiveness
- Federal Employees Retirement System
- Thrift Savings Plan
- Health insurance (100+ options)
- Dental insurance (16 options)
- Vision insurance (10 options)
- Life insurance
- Flex Spending Accounts
- Commuter Benefit Program
- Long term- & short-term disability
- Long-term care
- Transportation subsidy
- Employee Assistance Program
- WorkLife4You (living well)
- Sick leave
- Annual leave
- Nationwide leave transfer program
- Worker’s comp
- Disability retirement
- Family and medical leave
- 12-weeks paid parental leave
- Infant at Work program
- Awards (cash, time-off)
Miscellaneous
Social workers or mitigation specialists help our clients share their life experiences as they navigate through the federal criminal legal system. This work is crucial to pretrial release plans, negotiations, trial strategy, sentencing outcomes, and reentry plans. You will build trust with clients, families, and other life-history witnesses; gather and digest historical records (birth, education, health, employment, and so on); formally interview and informally consult with both laypeople and specialized professionals; connect clients with needed services; and collaborate with attorneys and investigators. Travel within the state and occasionally elsewhere will be required (office cars are available). You may sometimes be asked to testify in court. Attorneys with MSWs are encouraged to apply, as are MSWs with capital mitigation experience. Spanish fluency is a plus. Commitment to indigent defense is required. Residency requirements can be found here.
Application Info
Please send a letter of interest, resume, a short writing sample, and three professional references in a single pdf document to ksfpd@fd.org. Preference will be given to applications received by March 13, 2026. We may fill current and future positions from this position announcement. This position is subject to approval of funding. No phone inquiries.
The Kansas Federal Public Defender is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Diversity and dignity are central to our work. We hire without regard to race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, height, weight, veteran status, military obligations, or marital or parental status. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment in any personnel decisions or employee interactions.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.