Job Details for Paralegal
| Court Name/Organization | Washington Western Federal Public Defender |
| Overview of the Position | The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington (FPD) is accepting applications for a full-time criminal defense paralegal for our Seattle office. The FPD represents people charged with federal crimes who cannot afford to hire an attorney. The court appoints our attorneys to represent accused persons before charges are filed, upon arrest, for the appeals process, and through federal habeas corpus review. Candidates should demonstrate a strong background in criminal defense litigation support and be dedicated to defending those accused of committing crimes even when the evidence against them appears strong. Candidates should be self-motivated, resourceful, creative, and client-centered, and should demonstrate a commitment to social justice, the promotion of equity, and anti-oppressive practices. This position is supervised by the Chief Paralegal. |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 05/13/2026 - Open Until Filled |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Classification Level/Grade | Grade 11, Step 1 - Grade 14, Step 1 |
| Salary | $83,935 - $141,367 |
| Link to Court Careers Information | https://waw.fd.org/careers/employment |
| Announcement Number | 26-07 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington (FPD) is accepting applications for a full-time criminal defense paralegal for our Seattle office. The FPD represents people charged with federal crimes who cannot afford to hire an attorney. The Court appoints our attorneys to represent accused persons before charges are filed, upon arrest, for the appeals process, and through federal habeas corpus review. Candidates should demonstrate a strong background in criminal defense litigation support and be dedicated to defending those accused of committing crimes even when the evidence against them appears strong. Candidates should be self-motivated, resourceful, creative, and client-centered, and should demonstrate a commitment to social justice, the promotion of equity, and anti-oppressive practices. This position is supervised by the Chief Paralegal.
Qualifications
The successful candidate must have (1) a college degree or the equivalent of three years of general experience and (2) a minimum of three years of specialized experience in the primary duties of this position.
Applicants must meet the employment eligibility requirements of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. As a condition of employment, candidates must be fingerprinted and complete a background check. A prior criminal conviction is not necessarily disqualifying.
General Experience
The selected candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to quality representation; excellent communication and interpersonal skills; and a high degree of personal responsibility and integrity. Candidates must have experience working with Adobe Acrobat and the full Microsoft Office Suite. Familiarity with electronic discovery management tools, such as Everlaw, IPro Eclipse, or Relativity, is preferred. Foreign language proficiency is desirable.
Employee Benefits
This position has a starting salary range of $83,935 to $141,367 (Grade 11, Step 1 to Grade 14, Step 1) and a full performance salary range of $109,122 to $183,782 (Grade 11, Step 10 to Grade 14, Step 10) based on the Judicial Salary Plan effective Jan. 12, 2026. Salary will be based on professional experience. Benefits include health and life insurance plus 11 paid federal holidays, 13 days of paid sick leave, and 13 days of paid vacation leave annually. (The rate of vacation accrual increases with years of service.) The position is eligible for the Federal Employees Retirement System and the Thrift Savings Plan, which matches up to 5% of employee contributions. Salary is paid biweekly and only by direct deposit. Partial telework is available for this position. Work outside of regular business hours may be required.
Miscellaneous
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Our office values diversity, is committed to equity and inclusion, and aspires to create a culture of mutual respect, collaboration, openness, and humility that honors the people we represent. We embrace the unique contributions our employees can bring to the FPD because of their backgrounds, social identities, and lived experiences. We believe representation is better when members of the defense team have diverse backgrounds and experiences. We seek colleagues who share this belief and commitment. We are interested in applicants’ talent, intelligence, dedication, persistence, and desire to see that all people are treated fairly and respectfully—no matter the allegation or circumstance.
The FPD seeks applications from a diverse group of qualified individuals in terms of race, ethnicity, nation of origin, culture, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual identity, education, opinions, age, languages spoken, veteran status, disability, religion, and socio- economic circumstance. We especially encourage applications from people who have been affected by the criminal legal system and people from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.
Application Info
Interested persons may apply by emailing a letter of interest, résumé, and two professional references (including names, email addresses, and telephone numbers) as a single PDF document to wawpersonnel@fd.org. Please include the position title “Paralegal” in the email subject line.
Only applicants granted interviews will be contacted. Initial interviews may be conducted in person or via video conference. No telephone inquiries please.
This position is subject to available funds.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.