Public Defender Career Day

Each February, PDAP holds a recruitment event intended to connect students from every law school in Pennsylvania to Public Defender offices across the state. In addition to 1L and 2L students looking for internships, 3L students and recent graduates looking for post-graduation and bar passage employment are also welcome to attend. The event has featured panels led by Public Defender attorneys as well as interview and networking opportunities.

Recruitment is one of the most significant issues facing the indigent defense community in Pennsylvania. The annual Public Defender Career Day is designed to connect law students, many of them aspiring Public Defenders, to the offices that need them the most. While county offices can use this event as an opportunity to recruit current or graduated law students, those students will in turn benefit from securing prospective internships and jobs, as well as potentially discovering a new or renewed interest in indigent defense work.

This year’s Career Day took place on February 7, 2025 in a fully remote format. See the graphic on the side for more information.