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Senate Bill 5453 would fund statewide training, paralegal pool for public defense
Summary
Senate Bill 5453 would require the state Office of Public Defense to create training for public defense paralegals and mitigation specialists and to maintain a contracted pool of paralegals, prioritizing solo and very small firm attorneys and post‑conviction counsel.
Senate Bill 5453 would direct the Washington Office of Public Defense (OPD) to administer statewide training programs for public defense paralegals and mitigation specialists and to maintain a contracted pool of paralegals to support attorneys who contract with OPD.
The bill, described at a Feb. 3 public hearing before the Senate Law & Justice Committee, directs OPD to prioritize paralegal support for solo practitioners, very small private law firms and attorneys who contract with OPD to provide post‑conviction representation. The measure would take effect July 1, 2026, and…
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