This page provides Assigned Counsel with much of the basic operational information needed to comply with DPD's policies and meet the requirements outlined in the Department's orientation for new Panel members. Much of this information can also be found in full in DPD’s Assigned Counsel Policy. 

Case Assignment Process

The case assignment process for Assigned Counsel Panel members is as follows: 

• You will be contacted by email or phone by a DPD case assignment staff person when an assignment is available. They will provide basic case information, such as client name, charge(s), witness name(s), and court date. You should consider this information to check conflicts and availability. Please respond the same day regardless of whether you can take the case so assignment staff can plan accordingly. If you fail to timely respond, assignment staff will seek a new Assigned Counsel attorney. 
• After you accept the case, DPD case assignment staff will email you a case assignment sheet. This provides case information such as client name and contact information, case number, charge(s), and the next court date. This is now your case and it is your responsibility to contact your client, obtain discovery, and begin case preparation. Remember, in-custody clients should be seen within one business day of assignment and out-of-custody clients should be contacted within five  business days. 
• Within a week, you will receive a form from DPD finance called King County Department of Public Defense Assigned Counsel Confirmation of Assignment and Request for Payment (the "payment affidavit"). This is important because it is the form used for submitting your billing. This form functions as a summary cover sheet to which you attach your time sheets for billing. This is outlined in more detail in the Assigned Counsel Policy. You should bill monthly, providing the amount due is over $500.

Billing Guidelines 

• Submit time sheets with each request for payment. Time sheets should include a very brief description of each case activity by date, along with the amount of time for each activity. Activity descriptions of 1-2 words are preferred to help protect client confidences. Time should be reported in tenth-of-an-hour increments. Do not block bill!
• Submit billings via email to DPD-ACBilling@kingcounty.gov. Do not mail or hand-deliver hard copies of payment affidavits and supporting documentation. Time sheets should be word-processed, not handwritten.
• Time spent on multiple cases that require overlapping services (e.g., travel, attendance in court, meeting with prosecutor) should not be billed in full to each case but should be appropriately prorated among the cases with reference to each case where time is apportioned.
• Receipts are required for expenses over $10.
• Bills should be submitted monthly and should be submitted by calendar month. Multiple calendar months can be included in a single billing, but billings should not include partial months. Do not bill on a case more than once per calendar month.
• Monthly billing is not required if the total amount due is less than $500, although monthly billing is preferred even if the billing amount is less than $500. Billings should not be submitted if the total amount due is less than $50 unless the amount due is older than 90 days.
• Submit final bills within 30 days of case disposition or within 30 days of resolution of restitution.
• Noncompliance with billing procedures or timelines may result in non-payment of expenses for services rendered and/or removal from the assigned counsel panel.
• Complete billing policies and hourly rates can be found in the Assigned Counsel Policy. 

Helpful Forms

• Quarterly Certification of Appointed Counsel of Compliance with Standards (as required by CrR 3.1/CrRLJ 3.1/JuCR 9.2) 
• Certification of Proof of Insurance

Helpful Contacts

Case Assignments

• Correspondence to DPD regarding case assignments goes to DPD coordinators depending on the type of case:
  • Adult felonies - DPDFelonyCoordinators@kingcounty.gov
  • Adult misdemeanors - DPDKCDCCoordinators@kingcounty.gov
  • All juvenile criminal cases - DPDJuvCoordinators@kingcounty.gov
  • ITA cases - DPDITACoordinators@kingcounty.gov
  • Civil cases (dependency, civil contempt of court, etc.) - DPDCivilCoordinators@kingcounty.gov
  • Seattle Municipal Court cases - DPDMuniCoordinators@kingcounty.gov 
• Case assignment questions should be sent to Melanie Oberlander at melanie.oberlander@kingcounty.gov.

 Billing and Payments

• Billing and payments questions should be sent to Krystyna Weberg at kweberg@kingcounty.gov.

 Policies and Procedures

• Questions regarding general policies and procedures should be sent to DPD-Paralegal@kingcounty.gov or to the Assigned Counsel Coordinator Scott Ketterling at scott.ketterling@kingcounty.gov.