Law students — ready to make an impact? Join OSPD’s 2026 Summer Graduate Student Assistant Internship and gain real-world experience in appellate defense, criminal justice reform, and legal research that shapes California law.
Office of the State Public Defender - California
Law Practice
Oakland, CA 900 followers
OSPD was created by the California Legislature in 1976 to represent indigent criminal defendants on appeal.
About us
The Office of the State Public Defender was created by the California Legislature in 1976 to represent indigent criminal defendants on appeal. Since 1990, OSPD’s mandate has been to exclusively focus on death penalty cases. We litigate these cases on appeal in the California Supreme Court and in the United States Supreme Court on certiorari petitions. The work of the office is often at the cutting edge of criminal law. We frequently appear in the California Supreme Court and have represented men and women on death row in the United States Supreme Court in a half dozen cases where certiorari review was granted. We have been responsible for major developments in the areas of capital litigation, due process, right to counsel, confessions, jury selection, search and seizure, sentencing, and many other issues. The office prides itself on the diversity of its lawyers and is striving to preserve and improve upon that diversity. OSPD’s Outreach Directory has become a model for the State of California and has been borrowed and used by numerous government and nongovernment entities in their own outreach efforts. The agency draws its lawyers from many colleges, universities, and law schools. The attorneys come from a wide variety of backgrounds: from county and federal public defender offices, appellate court staffs, other public interest agencies and groups, and the private sector. State Public Defender alumni include three state court judges, the directors and many of the staff members of the California Appellate Projects, the Central California Appellate Project and First District Appellate Project, as well as many prominent attorneys in the private criminal defense and civil bars. The work of the Office of the State Public Defender is complex and challenging, and presents a unique personal and professional opportunity for those who choose a career in postconviction criminal defense.
- Website
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http://www.ospd.ca.gov
External link for Office of the State Public Defender - California
- Industry
- Law Practice
- Company size
- 51-200 employees
- Headquarters
- Oakland, CA
- Type
- Government Agency
- Founded
- 1976
- Specialties
- Criminal Defense, Criminal Appeals, and Death Penalty
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
1111 Broadway
Suite 1000
Oakland, CA 94607, US
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Get directions
770 L Street
Suite 1000
Sacramento, CA 95814, US
Employees at Office of the State Public Defender - California
Updates
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Office of the State Public Defender - California reposted this
Office of the State Public Defender - California is hiring summer law student interns. If you are a law student interested in spending a summer working at an appellate law office that focuses on the death penalty, we're the place for you! Apply through CalCareers https://lnkd.in/gSDCMDS9
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Office of the State Public Defender - California reposted this
OSPD is hiring for two attorney positions in the Indigent Defense Improvement Division! Join our team of passionate defenders committed to supporting public defense across the state. The positions are telework eligible for California residents. For more information and to apply, click on the respective job bulletins linked below. Application deadline for each position is October 13, 2025. IDID Resource Attorney https://lnkd.in/gMr8szTt The IDID Resource Attorney is responsible for identifying legal developments impacting indigent defense practice and generating responsive resources, sample briefing, tools, and supports for trial court defenders across California. The role includes a strong emphasis on Racial Justice Act (RJA) litigation but will be responsive over time to other statutory and caselaw developments critical to public defense. IDID Training Attorney https://lnkd.in/gknRzEnN The IDID Training Attorney develops training programs for indigent defense practitioners and defense teams, including social workers and investigators. In addition to directly implementing skills-based and technical legal trainings, the Training Attorney works with defense trainers across California to increase the training capacity of local defense offices and to develop a network of training experts available to meet the evolving needs of California’s defense community.
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OSPD is hiring for two attorney positions in the Indigent Defense Improvement Division! Join our team of passionate defenders committed to supporting public defense across the state. The positions are telework eligible for California residents. For more information and to apply, click on the respective job bulletins linked below. Application deadline for each position is October 13, 2025. IDID Resource Attorney https://lnkd.in/gMr8szTt The IDID Resource Attorney is responsible for identifying legal developments impacting indigent defense practice and generating responsive resources, sample briefing, tools, and supports for trial court defenders across California. The role includes a strong emphasis on Racial Justice Act (RJA) litigation but will be responsive over time to other statutory and caselaw developments critical to public defense. IDID Training Attorney https://lnkd.in/gknRzEnN The IDID Training Attorney develops training programs for indigent defense practitioners and defense teams, including social workers and investigators. In addition to directly implementing skills-based and technical legal trainings, the Training Attorney works with defense trainers across California to increase the training capacity of local defense offices and to develop a network of training experts available to meet the evolving needs of California’s defense community.
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Office of the State Public Defender - California is hiring a Director of Professional Development! This role will ensure that OSPD's legal staff have the training and support they need throughout their career path at the agency. If you're an experienced attorney who is interested in growing other attorneys, take a look and apply! Telework eligible for California residents. Application closes June 12. https://lnkd.in/gUX_P6Rq
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Office of the State Public Defender - California reposted this
Today Office of the State Public Defender - California published a new report, Unequal Scales: California’s Investment Disparity Between Prosecution and Public Defense. The report carefully documents the ways that different streams of funding build on each other, resulting in staggering funding disparities. I encourage you to read and share it.
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Office of the State Public Defender - California reposted this
Office of the State Public Defender - California is #hiring for an executive manager. This is a unique opportunity to be involved in the management of our agency by providing substantive operations support to the executive team (and reporting directly to me!). Please share with your networks, and if you are someone who is very organized, self driven, with high levels of empathy and strong communication skills and wants to work at a mission driven organization, please consider applying! Applications no later than June 5 and you must apply through the CalCareers webpage. https://lnkd.in/g7bdV29j
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The Office of the State Public Defender is accepting applications for a Supervising Caseworker! Applications are due April 30. Check out the job posting for more information. https://lnkd.in/gUYERE-W
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Office of the State Public Defender - California reposted this
Office of the State Public Defender - California is hiring a Racial Justice Act Specialist Attorney. We have expanded the hiring range to be more flexible about the number of years of experience the applicant must have, so if you have experience litigating Racial Justice Act claims, are committed to high quality client centered defense, and want to support attorneys across California doing this work, please consider applying. Deadline is April 30, 2025 https://lnkd.in/gpz7kWDv