As public defender offices, legal aid societies, and assigned counsel programs begin to recruit attorneys and other staff members to achieve the goal of high-quality representation of public defense clients, through reduced caseloads, counsel at arraignment,
and other quality improvements, the need for resources and training on recruitment and retention best practices is increasing. Below are links to some helpful resources. NYSDA Meeting on Recruitment and Retention - VIDEO
Roundtable discussion with law school professionals who share insights on how to connect with current law students interested in public defender opportunities. (Recorded December 12, 2024)
Career Fairs Where dates have passed, check back for future events.. - Equal Justice Works Career Fair, offers virtual interviews and virtual table talk interviews, Oct. 16-18, 2025. Early bird registration rates $125-$185 (ends Aug. 13); Standard registration fee $295 (begins Aug. 14). Click here to register.
- Georgetown Law School and George Washington Law School Public Service Recruiting Program (PSRP), offers on-site interviews and virtual table talk interviews. January 2026 TBA. Click here for more information.
- University of Buffalo School of Law Career Fair, in-person tabling event, January 29, 2026. Click here to register.
- Massachusetts Law School Consortium (MLSC) Winter 2026 Government & Public Interest Recruitment Program, Jan. 29-30, 2026. Registration TBA.
- Northern California Law Schools’ Public Interest and Public Service (NORCAL PIPS) Recruitment, offers virtual formal interviews and virtual table talk interviews, Jan. 30-31, 2026. Click here for registration details and deadlines.
- NYU Law’s Public Interest Legal Career (PILC) Fair, offers virtual interviews and virtual table talk interviews, Thurs., Feb. 5 and Fri., Feb. 6, 2026. Employers may access registration information here, Oct. 15-Nov. 15, 2025.
- Fordham Law's Spring Week Interview and Resume Collection Feb.- March 2025.
- New York State Public Defenders Career Fair, presented by: Buffalo Law School, NYSDA & Chief Defenders Association of New York
- National LGBTQ+ Bar Annual Conference and Lavender Law Career Fair, New York, NY, July 13-15, 2026.
AmeriCorps VISTA in Public Defense
General Employer Resources
- Greening the Desert: Strategies to Recruit, Train, and Retain Criminal Law Practitioners for STAR [small, tribal & rural] Communities, The Deason Center (September 2020)
- Recruitment Resources, National Association for Legal Placement
- National Counsel of Nonprofits
- Nonprofit Hiring Toolkit, The Bridgespan Group
- Recruiting Talent in a Changing World: 2017 State and Local Government Playbook, LinkedIn (PDF)
- Managing County Workers: Recruitment, Retention and Retirement, National Association of Counties
- Job Search Toolkit, Harvard Law School, Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising
- Society for Human Resource Management
Federal, State & Local Government Agencies
Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Resources
Job Posting Sites
Free Sites
NYSDA Job Opportunities
Public defense employers interested in placing a job or internship advertisement on our site for attorney, paralegal, investigator, social worker, sentencing mitigation specialist, parent advocate, and other positions, you can post directly on our career site or contact us by email at info@nysda.org or complete the form at https://forms.gle/qtsj37Ayh4z9QtNz7. NYSDA reserves the exclusive right to decide which job advertisements will be posted.
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