NLD Member Spotlight: Tyler Barclay

“Few things in life are as satisfying as pursuing justice for those that need it the most,” says Tyler Barclay about why he is passionate about being a public defender.

Barclay is a San Diego native who has proudly served as a San Diego County Deputy Public Defender since 2019. He landed his first law school summer internship with the Public Defender’s Office and never looked back. Now a fourth-year attorney, Barclay wishes to work in criminal defense for as long as possible, as he is very passionate about his role of “guiding my clients through a difficult and unfamiliar process.”

Barclay received his undergraduate degree from the University of San Diego and went on to work for a tech company, where he realized his true calling was to be an attorney. “It was a now or never situation,” Barclay reflected. He quit his tech job, studied for the LSAT, and applied to law schools. Barclay knew he eventually wanted to practice in San Diego, so he applied to law schools and ultimately decided Thomas Jefferson School of Law was the best fit for him.

Despite being told he would be unsuccessful in graduate school or that he did not have the “lawyer personality,” Barclay proved them wrong. In fact, Barclay’s law school journey was quite the opposite. He obtained his juris doctorate in 2.5 years with magna cum laude distinctions.

“I didn’t know there and then what area of law I wanted to practice, but I knew I was meant to help others,” he said. As a trial lawyer, Barclay gets to do just that — be a voice for San Diego residents through trying times.

After his 1L internship at the Public Defender’s Office, Barclay knew he wanted to be a part of the office and structured his law school path to increase his chances of joining the Public Defender’s Office. As a member of his law school’s trial team, Barclay competed in numerous mock trial competitions and took home several first-place wins. He recalls his team advancing in the Texas Young Lawyers Association’s (TYLA) competition, winning the title of Regional Champions, and progressing to Nationals.

The TYLA National Trial Competition brings over 1,000 competitors from over 140 law schools together to compete to be best in the nation. Barclay and his team tied for fifth in the entire nation after competing against teams from Northwestern, the University of Michigan, and UC Berkeley in the preliminary rounds.

“It is very satisfying to say that my co-counsel and I went head-to-head with some of the best competitors across the nation,” said Barclay.

As a Deputy Public Defender, Barclay has been fortunate enough to get hands-on trial experience despite the wrench thrown by the pandemic. To be precise, Barclay has tried eight jury cases to verdict to date. He explains that public defenders are first assigned to misdemeanors where they get to work on a range of cases from DUIs, theft, and drug-related offenses. After spending a few years in the misdemeanor unit, Barclay was recently elevated to the felony unit. He is excited to dive into this new role and dive into trying felony cases.

Barclay, who credits his two mentors for their guidance and support, advises new attorneys and law students to seek mentors and to not be afraid to ask for help.

“Other attorneys, especially in the San Diego legal community, are very open and willing to help others out,” he said.

As a trial attorney who is in the courtroom on most days, Barclay also encourages attorneys to find an outlet outside of the workplace. He comments that the practice of law is more demanding than law school and new attorneys should be cautious about burnout. Outside of work, Barclay is an avid fisherman, surfer, and enjoys being outdoors.