DEPUTY PUBLIC DEFENDER II

**EXAM NUMBER:** L9248H **TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:** **DEPARTMENTAL PROMOTIONAL JOB OPPORTUNITY** This opportunity is available for current Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office employees who have successfully finished their initial probationary period. **FILING DATES:** We will be accepting online applications from Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT) until Monday, September 21, 2026, 5:00 p.m. (PT). All applications must be received **before**5:00 p.m. (PT) on Monday, September 21, 2026, to be accepted. **NO OUT\-OF CLASS EXPERIENCE OR VERIFICATION OF EXPERIENCE LETTERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.** **WITHHOLD INFORMATION:** If you will meet the requirements within six months of submitting your application, then you can still apply for this exam. However, we will not include you on the list sent to hiring managers until you provide proof of meeting the requirements. Current employees in the unclassified service who meet the following criteria also qualify to participate in this exam: * Unclassified employees who have attained permanent County status on a classified position by successful completion of the initial probationary period, with no break in service since leaving the classified service. * Full\-time employees in the unclassified service with at least six months of full\-time experience in the unclassified service at the time of filing or by the last day of filing. **DEFINITION:** Performs legal work of average difficulty in representing the defense in criminal cases accepted by or assigned to the Public Defender. **CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:** Positions allocable to this class are characterized by the performance of legal tasks involved in representing the defense in a wide variety of misdemeanor cases or the less difficult felony cases accepted by or assigned to the Public Defender. Assignments at this level differ from Deputy Public Defender I in that attorneys in this class function more independently but continue to receive supervision from higher level attorney personnel in the performance of their duties. **Essential Job Functions** --------------------------- * Represents the defense in the trial of felony cases of average difficulty and the more difficult misdemeanor cases. * Interviews clients and witnesses, reviews transcripts, requests the investigation of facts and testimony, maintains documentation of clients' files, and confers with law enforcement officers, experts, prosecutors, and other interested parties to determine the course of action that should be taken on behalf of their clients. * Advises clients as to their rights, consequences, and the actions they should take in court, including the relative merits of trial by judge or jury and the advisability of negotiated pleas. * Conducts legal research necessary to prepare appropriate and relevant motions, briefs, and pleadings critical to the representation of clients. * Represents the defense in arraignment, conducts evidentiary and other legal hearings, negotiates case settlement, and handles probation and sentencing proceedings in felony and misdemeanor cases. * Represents juvenile clients in hearings in the Juvenile Court. * Advises clients of their appellate rights and prepares necessary documentation to preserve the rights on appeal. **Requirements** ---------------- **SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:** One year of experience in the practice of criminal law as a Deputy Public Defender I in the service of the County of Los Angeles. **LICENSES:** * Admission to practice law in all courts in California. * A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job\-related essential functions. **SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:** To qualify, applicants must currently hold the County job title of Deputy Public Defender I for the required period of time. **PHYSICAL CLASS** **2 \- LIGHT:** Light physical effort which may include occasional light lifting to a 10\-pound limit, and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable walking may be involved. **Additional Information** -------------------------- **EXAMINATION CONTENT:** **This examination will consist of two (2\) parts:** **PART I:** An evaluation of experience based on application information weighted 50%. **PART II:** An Appraisal of Promotability (AP) weighted 50%. The AP will evaluate: * Advocacy and Communication * Case Analysis and Preparation * Legal Knowledge, Role Attitude, Work Habits, and Leadership **Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on each weighted part of this examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.** **VACANCY INFORMATION:** The eligible register resulting from this examination will be used to fill vacancies in the Office of the Public Defender. Appointees for this position must be able and willing to work in any area of Los Angeles County and may be subject to transfer at any time. **ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION:** Successful candidates will be placed on the eligible register in order of their score group for a period of twelve (12\) months following the date of promulgation. Passing this examination and being placed on the eligible register does not guarantee an offer of employment. **RETAKE:** No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12\) months. **APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:** We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates. Please fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the *Selection Requirements.* Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning, and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, description of work performed, and salary earned. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected. We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification. **Note:** If you are unable to attach required documents, you may fax them to (213\) 633\-5032 or email them to Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov within fifteen (15\) calendar days of filing online or by 5 p.m., PST, on the last day of filing, whichever comes first. Be sure to include the exam number and exam title in the subject line. We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re\-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail. • ABatungbacal@pubdef.lacounty.gov * Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov • Personnel@pubdef.lacounty.gov • noreply@governmentjobs.com • info@governmentjobs.com New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to governmentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses. **SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:** Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying. **COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:** For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. **NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD:** All applicants must file their application online using their OWN user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record. **Department Contact Name:** Andre Batungbacal **Department Contact Phone:** (213\) 460\-8072 **Department Contact Email:** Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov **ADA Coordinator Email:** Exams@pubdef.lacounty.gov **California Relay Service Phone:** (800\) 735\-2922 **Teletype Phone:** (800\) 899\-4099 **COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES** **Employment Information** **Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.** This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting. **Equal Employment Opportunity/Non\-Discrimination Statement:** The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non\-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo\-programs/. **Testing Accommodations for Applicants:** The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/. **Fair Chance:** The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952\). **Employment Eligibility:** Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States. **Career PathFinder:** Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career\-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov. **Veteran’s Credit:** Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions. For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102\_PPG\_115\.pdf Revised September 2025