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Celebrating 110 Years of Advocacy

The Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office remains dedicated to justice, defending rights, and transforming lives through unwavering legal representation and social advocacy.
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Know Your Rights: Voting

Understanding your voting rights as a justice-involved individual empowers you to participate in democracy and ensures your voice is heard and respected.
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Law Clerk & Volunteer
Student Program

Learn about our structured clerkship and internship programs that provide students mentorship from experienced defense attorneys and invaluable real-life experiences.
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Careers

Join our multidisciplinary team of advocates in the finest criminal defense firm in the nation, including investigators, paralegals, and social workers, to help provide a comprehensive and client-centered strategy.
Available Positions

Outreach Court

The Community Outreach Court (COC) is a collaborative initiative spearheaded by the LA City Attorney’s Office, the LA County Public Defender’s Office, the LA County Alternate Public Defender’s Office, and the LA Mayor’s Office of Community Safety.
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LACPDO Receives Gold Eagle Award

LACPDO’s groundbreaking Neurocognitive Disorders Team was honored with the prestigious Gold Eagle Award at the 37th Annual County Quality and Productivity Awards
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Latest News

LA County Public Defender, Ricardo D. García has issued the following statement: "Our immediate concern is ensuring the fair treatment of all individuals involved in the recent events at UCLA. We are closely monitoring the situation and have deployed our Rapid Response Team to provide on-the-ground support to arrestees.
In celebration of April as Arts Month, the LA County Office of the Public Defender announces the completion of a major renovation project that transformed a former file-storage warehouse into a modern, state-of-the-art office space, now adorned with unique artwork inspired by the criminal legal system.
A County Public Defender, Ricardo D. García has issued the following statement: "The video exposing probation officers encouraging violence between detained youth is appalling. These actions by officers violate the duty of care owed to our youth and perpetuate a culture of violence rather than rehabilitation."

Social Media

Join the Nation’s first, largest, and finest indigent criminal defense agency as a Psychiatric Social Worker! We are looking for social workers who have a valid and active license (LCSW) to join our team of Public Defenders.
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Knowledge is power—and every young person deserves to know their rights.

This summer, the Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development, Public Defender’s Office, and Alternate Public Defender’s Office partnered to equip young people with essential information about their constitutional rights and pathways to civic action.

And this is just the beginning! Stay tuned as we share more resources and information for youth and families.
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A great visit to Cleveland Elementary for Chief of Staff John Mathews, who spoke with students about leadership, public service, and working in the legal field!
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Chief of Staff John Mathews recently joined the UCLA Law Fellows outreach program to speak with aspiring legal professionals about careers in public defense!
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