Are you ready to make a meaningful impact through public service? The Iowa State Public Defender’s Office is seeking a highly motivated, skilled, and enthusiastic attorney to serve as a Public Defender 1 in our Davenport office located in Scott County, Iowa.
Who We Are
The mission of the Office of the State Public Defender is to ensure that all indigent persons in Iowa are provided high quality legal representation in criminal, juvenile, and other eligible proceedings in the most efficient and fiscally responsible manner.
What You’ll Do
As a Public Defender attorney in this position, you will:
Advocate for indigent clients in assigned cases at every state of the criminal justice system at a trainee level.
Receive training and mentoring from dedicated, experienced public defenders in an atmosphere which encourages growth and development of an attorney’s skills and career.
Represent clients in court at pre-trial hearings, bench or jury trials sentencings and other court hearings.
Prepare a defense, conducting legal research, gathering facts, and interviewing the client and witnesses to determine the merits of case and appropriate course of action.
Conduct pretrial discovery, including depositions, withdraw pleas, and suppression motions.
Negotiate plea bargains, dismissals, or other disposition of assigned cases with prosecuting attorneys.
Work closely with clients, providing and discussing information, plan case strategy and trial preparation.
Maintain appropriate communication with clients about case status and answering client questions.
Identify potential legal issues to advance client’s case, research applicable law, and draft appropriate motions and briefs
Prepare various legal documents, including written arraignments, written guilty pleas, motions, briefs, and letters.
May direct work of investigators consistent with internal office policies.
Maintain client case files, prepare public defender time reports to the court, and close files consistent with office policies.
What We Offer
When you join the SPD, you become a part of a strong team culture that is committed to serving the community. In addition to providing a respect for work-life balance, we have a competitive total compensation package for all of our full-time employees, including:
Annual pay ranging from $62,337.60 to $96,699.20, depending on experience.
Robust benefits, including excellent health, dental, life and vision insurance.
Generous paid time off, including vacation, paid holidays, and sick leave accrual.
Opportunities for professional development.
Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care.
Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) Retirement Package.
Retirement Investors Club (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan).
Employee Assistance Program for support when you need it most.
Employee Discount Programs from a variety of vendors (vision, cellular, fitness, and more)
Access to an on-site employee fitness center (6200 Park Avenue location only).
For additional information on benefits click here.
Embark on a rewarding career dedicated to public service and make a difference with us!
E-Verify and Right to Work The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.
This is a non-merit position for the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing - Public Defender. Positions in this class are exempt from the screening and referral requirements of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services - Human Resources Enterprise.
Closing Date: 6/18/2026 11:59 PM Central
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Applicants must have graduated from an accredited law school and possess a current license to practice law in the State of Iowa prior to commencing employment in positions in this job classification.
The Office of the State Public Defender is responsible for coordinating Iowa's Indigent Defense System. Our mission is to ensure that all indigent persons in Iowa are provided high quality legal representation in criminal, juvenile, and other eligible proceedings in the most efficient and fiscally responsible manner.
The office is led by the State Public Defender, who is appointed by the Governor. More than two hundred employees in eighteen Local Public Defender Offices and the Appellate Defender's Office provide representation for indigent persons primarily in criminal and juvenile cases at the trial and appellate levels in all of Iowa's 99 counties. The State Public Defender also contracts with more than one thousand private attorneys and several nonprofit organizations throughout Iowa to provide court-appointed representation in cases that public defender offices are unable to handle. These contract attorneys, as well as other indigent defense providers, such as investigators, court reporters, interpreters, and expert witnesses, are paid from the Indigent Defense Fund, which is administered by the State Public Defender.
