2024 Regular Session

BySenators Torres, Dhingra, Padden, Boehnke, L. Wilson, Braun, Frame, Kuderer, Lovick, Mullet, Nguyen, Nobles, Shewmake, Warnick, C. Wilson, and J. Wilson

Prefiled 12/04/23.Read first time 01/08/24.Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

AN ACT Relating to establishing a law student rural public defense program; adding a new section to chapter 2.70 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the lack of availability of public defense attorneys is an increasing problem in Washington and neighboring states which threatens the ability of court systems to process criminal filings, particularly within rural areas. The legislature intends to encourage law students to enter public defense practice and to remove barriers to practice in underserved areas and rural areas of the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 2.70 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Subject to appropriations, the office of public defense shall administer a law student rural public defense program. The program shall coordinate with one or more law schools to place second year law students and/or recent law school graduates as legal interns with experienced public defense attorneys located in underserved areas and rural areas of the state. The program must allow the intern to gain real-world public defense experience under the mentorship of the experienced public defense attorney, including active representation and litigation opportunities, with the purpose of encouraging the intern to consider, or not be deterred from pursuing, employment opportunities in public defense in underserved areas and rural areas of Washington state. The internship may be structured to correspond with time periods relevant to the academic calendar. Eligible internship placements shall include government and nonprofit public defense agencies as well as private firms that contract to provide public defense services.

(2) Contracts established by the office of public defense under this section shall include monthly compensation and housing stipends for program participants. Contracts may include partial reimbursement for the supervising attorney.