Public Defender Service For The District Of Columbia Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 46 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Which role are you interviewing for?
5 roles · 46 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Public Defender Service For The District Of Columbia.
Public Defender Service For The District Of Columbia
Human Resources Generalist
Mid Easy Negative experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Onsite Background check
Interview formats
Behavioral Presentation
The hiring process was quite long, spanning over four months. It involved one video call and two in-person meetings. I had to reach out to them frequently for updates. They also conduct reference checks for several candidates at the very end, which is a challenging situation for those who don't get selected.
Confirmed questions1 question
- When faced with multiple urgent tasks, how do you determine your priorities?
Public Defender Service For The District Of Columbia
Investigative Intern
Intern Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Case
I had one interview with the internship supervisor. It was about 30-40 minutes long. They asked mostly situational questions, kind of like the fact-pattern exercise from the application. They also asked a couple of character questions at the beginning.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- What would you do if you knocked on a client's door and another person answered it?
- If someone other than the client opens the door after you knock, how would you react?
- How would you respond to a scenario where you knock on a client's door and a different person answers?
Public Defender Service For The District Of Columbia
Investigator
Entry Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Case
I found this job posting online and applied with my resume, cover letter, and an essay about a fake client case. A couple of weeks later, they emailed me to set up an interview. I went to their DC office for an in-person interview. It started with normal behavioral questions, then moved into hypothetical scenarios about investigations. The person interviewing me was nice, but didn't really react to my answers, just typed notes the whole time. Turns out, that's their thing, and most people who got hired felt like they bombed it because of the interviewer's poker face. The hypothetical questions are pretty unique. You really need to know the legal system and what public defenders do in DC. Also, brush up on attorney-client privilege since interns have to follow it too and some questions touch on that. About two weeks after the interview, I got an email saying I got the job.
Confirmed questions5 questions
- You have a client accused of raping a 10-year-old boy. While interviewing him in jail, he admits to the rape and expresses no remorse. What action do you take?
- What would you do with a client who admits to raping a 10-year-old boy and doesn't feel bad about it, during your jail interview?
- What is your response when a client confesses to raping a 10-year-old boy during your interview, and shows no regret?
Public Defender Service For The District Of Columbia
Intern
Intern Difficult Neutral experience Accept offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Case
I had one Skype interview with an investigator at PDS that lasted about 45 minutes to an hour. It was mostly basic questions about my resume, and then they threw in some scenarios. They asked what I'd do in certain situations that would surely come up during the internship, like given a case, where to start the investigation, or what to do if witnesses are uncooperative.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- What would be your course of action if a witness refuses to see you?
- If presented with a case, what would be your initial steps for the investigation?
- How would you proceed if witnesses are unwilling to cooperate with your investigation?
Public Defender Service For The District Of Columbia Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Public Defender Service For The District Of Columbia interview reports.
“If the complaining witness's brother answers the door, how would you speak to him? (in Spanish)”
Read reports →“How do you get an old woman who witnessed a crime and is refusing to talk to you to speak with you?”
Read reports →“If an apartment building is locked, how would you gain entry to speak with a witness?”
Read reports →“How do you get me to talk if I'm an old woman who saw a crime and won't talk?”
Read reports →“What if you were trying to talk to a witness and they didn't let you inside their house?”
Read report →“If your client confessed to raping a 10-year-old but wants to plead innocent to avoid jail, what would you do?”
Read report →“What would you do with information that a teacher claims the accuser previously made a false rape accusation?”
Read report →“Do you feel that everyone accused of a crime should get their day in court? Explain your reasoning.”
Read report →“What are your thoughts on defending someone accused of child assault?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 46 Public Defender Service For The District Of Columbia interview reports.