“I am energized by the opportunity to work with each of you in this new role and to continue the outstanding work we do every day,” Sanders said in an email to staff upon accepting the appointment. “My priority is to ensure that DPD remains a place where excellence in representation is not just an aspiration, but a reality for our clients.” 

In an email announcing her resignation, Khandelwal expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside DPD’s “passionate, creative, and energetic” staff in opposing harmful systems that oppress the department’s clients. In addition to cultivating DPD’s reputation as a premier destination for new public defenders from law schools across the country, Khandelwal established the department as a potent force in advancing significant policy reforms to mitigate the harms the legal system inflicts on DPD’s clients. 

“You have inspired me with your courage, tenacity, and commitment. I am proud of my small role in helping build a community where we show our clients and each other compassion in the face of a system that has none,” Khandelwal said. “I will always reflect on our work together with awe and humility–there is no place like DPD, and to have been part of it is my good fortune.” 

Sanders will now assume the responsibility of managing the day-to-day administration of DPD, while also navigating the county budget process and continuing the transformative work of implementing new caseload standards for public defenders adopted by the Washington State Bar Association earlier this year.