Employment with the Public Defender

Overview

The mission of the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender (CCPD) is to protect the rights, liberties and dignity of each person whose case has been entrusted to us by providing the finest legal representation. Our clients are accused of offenses ranging from traffic and misdemeanor charges to capital murder. The Office was established in 1930 and defends poor people in the largest unified court system in the world. At the beginning of 2006, the staff consisted of 742 authorized positions: 549 attorneys, 116 support staff and 77 investigators.

The Law Office is currently organized into several divisions:

• Juvenile Justice
• Felony Trial
• Multiple Defendants
• First Municipal (Misdemeanor, Traffic, Domestic Violence)
• Professional Development
• Civil (Child Protection, Paternity, Mental Health)
• Legal Resources (Appeals and Post Conviction)
• Forensic Science
• Homicide Task Force
• Investigations
• and Five Suburban Divisions

Office Locations

The Law Offices of the Public Defender are located throughout Cook County.

• The following are located in the downtown Chicago area: Administration, Legal Resources, Professional Development, First Municipal (Traffic and Domestic Violence), Multiple Defendants and Forensic Science.
• The Felony Trial Division, Investigations and Homicide Task Force are located at the Criminal Courts Building, while Juvenile Justice and Child Protection are located at the Juvenile Courts Building.
• The suburban divisions are located in the following surrounding cities: Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview and Markham. Several first municipal branch courts are located throughout the City of Chicago.

Hours

The office is normally open from 8:30a.m. until 6:00p.m., Monday through Friday; however, the nature of the work often demands more than a forty-hour week.

Qualifications and Applications Procedures

Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in working with the poor, a capacity to work long hours, as well as the ability to develop excellent litigation and writing skills. Attorneys joining the Office are asked to give a commitment to remain for at least three years. Applications can be obtained from Cook County Employment Listings. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.

Attorneys

All persons interested in applying for an attorney position must fill out and file an application with the Cook County Department of Human Resource located at 118 N. Clark, Chicago, Illinois. The application can also be obtained online at: Cook County Employment Listings.

Interns and Law Clerks

We have no paid internships or law clerk positions. All of our positions are on a volunteer basis.
 

If you are interested in volunteering with our office for experience or school credit you will need a cover letter, resume and two letters of recommendation, preferably from your law school or undergraduate professors. You will also need to provide copies of your transcripts, official or unofficial.

Send all documents via PDF attachment to:
christopher.garcia@cookcountyil.gov or

daynia.sanchez-bass@cookcountyil.gov

Supports Staff and Investigators

Our Office utilizes the finest support available, including: Accountants, Administrative Assistants, Case Workers, Clerks, Secretaries, Interpreters, Investigators, Librarians, Mitigation Specialists.

If you are interested in any of these positions you must go to the County Building located at:
118 N. Clark, 8th Floor,
Chicago, Illinois 60602

Fill out an application.

For more information, contact our office (312) 603-0700.