Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, Kentucky's Statewide Defender System

Public defenders in Kentucky work for an independent state government agency called the Department of Public Advocacy (DPA). Our main office is located in Frankfort, KY, however, the Kentucky DPA is recognized as a model STATE-WIDE public defender system. We are a client-centered public defender agency looking for passionate and talented criminal defense attorneys who believe the criminal judicial system should be fair to all citizens. No one should ever fall through the cracks because their income falls below the poverty line.

EDUCATION and TRAINING:

KY DPA created the Kentucky Public Defender College as a training program for all newly hired Law Clerks and Attorneys. This College is one of the best public defender training programs in the country. DPA provides newly-hired public defenders over 150 hours of training in their first year. The coursework involves a classroom component as well as on-your-feet practice. The Kentucky Public Defender College is designed to prepare both recent law graduates as well as newly-hired licensed attorneys with a strong foundation to begin their career with the DPA and put them on the road to becoming experts in Kentucky’s criminal law.   

ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING WORKERS

Every trial office has at least one and in some cases, two, Alternative Sentencing Workers. These individuals often have an MSW and they work with select clients to create a plan to present to the court. These alternative plans are an effort to help the clients overcome addictions or find treatment for mental illness instead of going to prison.

MENTORING

All newly-hired attorneys or soon-to-be attorneys are paired with an experienced mentor in an office separate from the office in which they are hired.

OUT-OF-STATE LICENSES

Out-of-state attorneys or those who have taken the bar exam in another state and are awaiting results may still apply for positions with the Ky DPA. The Kentucky Bar Admissions office provides an application for a Limited License. This License allows the out-of-state attorney to practice in Kentucky for up to 18 months. During that time, they must take and pass the Kentucky Bar Exam.

Additionally, Ky DPA is now a UBE state requiring a passing score of 266. If you have taken the UBE elsewhere, it is possible to transfer your score to Kentucky! PLUS, if the Kentucky license will be your second license, we will reimburse you for the cost of the transfer!

Preferred candidates are dedicated and highly motivated criminal defense attorneys with a strong desire to help the poorest individuals in their communities. Our clients are often the most vulnerable individuals who do not have a voice in the criminal justice system.  We want teams at both the trial and post-trial levels which provide the best line of defense for those clients in a court of law.