Kenneth Chang

I am a public defender in King County Washington. I became a lawyer in 1996, and went straight into the public defense work as soon as I graduated. I fell in love with that work while I was doing externship in my third year of law school.

It was gruelling, yet challenging and exciting, work. I became exposed to different levels and layers of human tragedies. Some were familiar, but most had escaped my previous imagination.

After two years of over-work and self-doubt, I quit and started working for a private firm, doing mostly personal injury work. The private practice revitalized me as a lawyer: it cured me of my self-doubt.

But due to the firm's financial reason, I was laid off after 5 years. It turned out to be a good thing. I went straight back into public defense, and I have stayed here for over 10 years now. I've learned so much from all the lawyers and staff that I had the fortune to work with. I also learned very much from my clients. I would like to think that I will continue to grow and seek new challenges in coming years.