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Monday – Friday · 8:00am – 4:30pm
Main Office
201 Poplar Ave, Suite 2-01
Memphis, TN 38103
Learn more about us
Before you apply
- Internship program
Law students: our internship coordinator manages all summer and academic-year placements. Applications for Summer 2026 close February 28, 2026.
Questions? Call (901) 222-2800 and ask for the internship program.
At SCPD, the work is hard and it matters. Every person on our team — from the courtroom to the front office — is part of why more than 20,000 people a year get real representation.
Why SCPD
We are not a stepping stone. We are a destination. SCPD attorneys try more cases than most lawyers will see in a lifetime. Our investigators and social workers work alongside counsel from the first interview to the last appeal. Our administrative and support staff run one of the most complex public law offices in the state.
We invest in our people. That means training and support, manageable caseloads, a trauma-informed culture that takes staff wellbeing seriously, and leadership that sees mission alignment — not just job performance — as the measure of a great colleague.
Our hiring approach
We recruit for values first. We want people who believe deeply in the presumption of innocence, who see clients as whole human beings, and who understand that a public defender’s work is inseparable from the broader fight for racial and economic justice. Experience matters — but so does who you are.
Open Positions
Click any role to see the full description and how to apply. Positions update regularly — check back or contact us if you don’t see the right fit below.
Attorneys
Trial · Appellate · Mental Health
Now Recruiting
Deputy Public Defender — Adult Division
- Full-time
- 201 Poplar Ave, Memphis
- General Sessions Court & Criminal Court
Now Recruiting
Deputy Public Defenders in our Adult Division handle a full caseload of misdemeanor and felony matters across Shelby County General Sessions Court and Criminal Court. You will manage your docket independently while working closely with investigators, social workers, and supervising attorneys.
What you'll do:
- Represent clients at all stages — arraignment, preliminary hearings, motions, trial, and sentencing
- Conduct client interviews, review discovery, and develop case strategy
- Collaborate with investigators and social workers to build comprehensive defenses
- Maintain regular contact with clients and their families throughout the case
- Participate in office training and contribute to team development
What we're looking for:
- Tennessee bar admission or eligibility to sit for the Tennessee bar
- We hire at all experience levels, including new graduates
- Commitment to public defense as a career — not a way station
Deputy Public Defender — Special Litigation Unit (Mental Health)
- Full-time
- 201 Poplar Ave, Memphis
- Mental Health Defense · Jericho Project
Now Recruiting
Our Special Litigation Unit (Mental Health) represents clients whose cases intersect with serious mental illness — from diversion through the Jericho Project to competency proceedings, mental health defenses, and post-conviction advocacy. Attorneys in this unit work in close partnership with licensed social workers and mental health professionals.
What you'll do:
- Represent clients in competency, diversion, and mental health–related proceedings
- Coordinate with the Jericho Project team to identify and screen diversion-eligible clients
- Work alongside social workers to connect clients with treatment and community supports
- Advocate for alternatives to incarceration at every stage
What we're looking for:
- Tennessee bar admission
- Prior experience in mental health law, social services, or related fields is a plus but not required
- A deep commitment to representing people the system has often discarded
Appellate Defender
- Full-time
- 201 Poplar Ave, Memphis
- TN Court of Criminal Appeals · TN Supreme Court
Now Recruiting
Our Appellate Team handles post-conviction appeals for SCPD clients at the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, the Tennessee Supreme Court, and where appropriate, the U.S. Supreme Court. This is writing-intensive, research-intensive work on the cutting edge of criminal procedure and constitutional law.
What you'll do:
- Research and brief preserved issues on direct appeal
- Identify issues in trial records that warrant appellate review
- Argue before the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals and Supreme Court
- Monitor developments in state and federal constitutional law affecting SCPD clients
What we're looking for:
- Tennessee bar admission
- Strong legal writing skills are essential
- Prior appellate experience is a plus; we also welcome exceptional writers transitioning from trial work
Legal Fellows
Post-graduate fellowship programs
View Openings
Gideon's Promise Fellow
- Fellowship
- 201 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN
- All divisions
open
SCPD is a proud Gideon's Promise partner. Fellows receive intensive national training through the Gideon's Promise network while building their practice here in Memphis. This is one of the most robust new-attorney development programs in public defense. After the fellowship, many fellows join SCPD as permanent staff.
What you'll do:
- Handle a full caseload with structured mentorship
- Participate in regular training intensives through the Gideon's Promise network
- Access a nationwide cohort of fellow public defenders for peer support and collaboration
What we're looking for:
- Recent law school graduates or attorneys within their first two years of practice
- Tennessee bar admission or pending admission required
Capital Defense Fellow — Major Cases Team
- Fellowship
- 201 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN
- First-degree murder · Capital cases
open
Work directly with our Major Cases Team on first-degree murder and capital jury trials. Fellows assist with case investigation, mitigation development, legal research, and trial preparation on cases that receive the full weight of our office, under the mentorship of some of the most experienced capital defenders in Tennessee.
What you'll do:
- Work directly with the Major Cases Team on first-degree murder and capital jury trials
- Assist with case investigation, mitigation development, legal research, and trial preparation
What we're looking for:
- Tennessee bar admission
- At least one year of trial or litigation experience preferred
Juvenile Defense Fellow
- Fellowship
- 201 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN
- Shelby County Juvenile Court
open
The Juvenile Defense Fellowship places a new attorney in our Youth Trial Division for two years of focused development in child-centered, developmentally informed representation. Fellows carry a supervised caseload while learning the specialized law and practice of juvenile defense.
What you'll do:
- Represent young people in delinquency and transfer proceedings in Shelby County Juvenile Court
- Develop developmentally appropriate, client-centered defense strategies
- Coordinate with social workers, schools, and families on dispositional alternatives
What we're looking for:
- Tennessee bar admission or pending admission
- Interest in juvenile defense, child development, or education law
- New graduates welcome
Interns & Law Clerks
1L · 2L · 3L · Recent graduates
Applications Open
Summer Law Intern
- Summer Internship (10 weeks)
- 201 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN
- Trial divisions
open
Our summer internship program places law students alongside attorneys in our trial divisions for ten weeks of immersive public defense experience. Interns do real work, not busy work — many of our current staff attorneys started as summer interns.
What you'll do:
- Attend hearings
- Assist with client interviews and case investigation
- Conduct legal research
- Draft motions
What we're looking for:
- 1L and 2L law students
Academic Year Law Clerk
- Academic Year Clerkship
- 201 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN
- Multiple divisions
open
Law clerks work part-time during the academic year alongside attorneys in our Adult Division, Special Litigation Unit (Mental Health), and Appellate Team. Work is supervised and counts toward clinical education requirements at most Tennessee law schools.
What you'll do:
- Assist with legal research
- Draft documents
- Prepare cases
- Under the student practice rule, advanced 3L clerks may appear in court under attorney supervision
What we're looking for:
- 2L and 3L law students
- Work counts toward clinical education requirements at most Tennessee law schools
- Rolling applications: August 15 (Fall) and December 15 (Spring)
Social Work Intern — Special Litigation Unit (Mental Health)
- Summer Internship (10 weeks)
- 201 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN
- Mental Health Defense · Jericho Project
open
Social work interns are embedded in our Special Litigation Unit (Mental Health) and support the holistic, client-centered work of our licensed social workers. This placement is designed for BSW and MSW students seeking field experience in a criminal-legal setting.
What you'll do:
- Shadow and support licensed social workers on psychosocial assessments
- Help connect clients with mental health, housing, and substance-use resources
- Support Jericho Project intake and case monitoring
What we're looking for:
- BSW or MSW students in good standing
- Interest in criminal-legal system involvement and trauma-informed practice
- Placement can count toward field-education requirements
Don't see the right fit?
Send us your résumé and a note about your interest. We keep strong candidates on file and reach out when the right opening comes up.