r/publicdefenders

My court assesses a fee of $1,000 to each defendant for the county “public defenders fund” among the other various fines and fees. How does this compare to your jurisdiction?

I love working at the PDs, but the salary isn’t sustainable now. Long story short, I have to start paying my loans and I understand we have LRAP and PSLF but the problem is I have no money to put towards replaying my loan. I have a mortgage, cc bills, and kids. Even though I love working at the PDs I think it’s time for me to leave.

Hello everyone. I am contemplating a PD job in MA through CPCS in Boston. Does anyone have insight on:

1. Average weekly hours
2. Remote work policy
3. Case loads
4. General office culture

Thanks!

Hi I am currently applying this cycle to law school and was hoping for some advice from any current PD’s. Ever since I became interested in a career in law I knew from the start I wanted to public defender and started learning as much about what the PD job looks like. I’ve worked for a criminal defense firm before as a legal assistant so I got some insight into the private side but I wanted to know the life of a PD. How true is the idea that PD’s get thrown into the deep end with many cases? How true is it that PD’s burn out quickly? What does the day to day work life look like for PD’s? Finally I want to move to NYC and work as PD how unrealistic is that on a PD’s salary? I really respect the job of a PD and want to learn as much as I can before I get closer to making this dream a reality thanks for any insight!

Hi all, I’m a PD based in NY, have been working for about four years, and I’m starting to feel like I’m too burnt out for a vacation to fix and too burnt out to continue. I love my coworkers, and I love my clients, but I’ve felt like I’ve been slipping a lot and have started to feel a bit foolish when it comes to missteps. While I’ve wanted to be at this job for the long haul, I don’t know if I can keep it up.

All that to say that I think it’s time to move onto something new. I wanted to know if anyone had any advice as to what to look into.

Thanks for listening.

Hello,

Already read trauma stewardship and working through mediating with high conflict disputes.

I'm looking for books that are similar, for handling the soft side of law. I like the legal arguments and arguing. But working with clients is much more difficult. I feel like I am constantly repeating myself and working clients up because I am not clear, and that I can't get them to focus on the issues I can resolve, because they are so focused on all these other ones

not sure if this is the best place for my to post, so please tell me if not.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with recent experience working in the hospital where I worked with unhoused populations, people with severe and persistent mental health and substance use needs. My partner is a public defender and I watch them in trial and at court sometimes. Public defenders and hospital social workers share clients' from the same demographic background ( low income, unhoused, dually diagnosed MH and SUD) and this work interested me.

I have an interview for a PD investigator role and I really want to articulate that there is quite a bit of overlap between what hospital clinical social workers and investigators do. For example, I regularly assess ( interview) patients presenting with mental health symptoms to gather their demographic, housing, medical, legal involvement, current connection to treatment and services, history of sexual abuse, assault, etc. then I collect collateral information from medical charts, medical providers, family members, friends, etc. to verify facts. Sometimes, I have to conduct interviews with people who are disclosing detailed assault, are not forthcoming, resistant. I have had to conduct shelter outreach to unhoused clients to connect them to services, and I have to document everything objectively. Also, I have to advocate relentlessly for clients within healthcare, social service and other systems regardless of if I like them or not.

So my question is, what are hiring committees looking for during an interview? Does anyone here have experience in social work and public defense investigating?

Much appreciated!

He has pled to stalking in federal court, part of the factual basis of which is that he killed the healthcare CEO. Now his lawyers are going to argue that double jeopardy prevents him from being prosecuted for murder in state court.

I'm not a DJ expert nor an expert on the interplay between the state and federal systems. But my sense, going off vibes, is that this is a weak legal argument that the state court isn't going to let fly. They will find a way to fuck him even if the law is on his side. He's put his fate in the hands of judges and the judicial system, rather than in a jury.

And if the DJ motion fails, now he has admitted to the killing.

Seems like his legal team is getting cute instead of doing the hard work of multiple jury trials. Surely his defense fund is flush with cash for such an effort.

I'm miffed here. What am I missing?

Does anyone have a handy phrase in their back pocket to explain the situation to a judge? Is there a way to do this that isn't a dick move?

Bonus if you can also rephrase/translate "his mom is helping him but she is also an idiot."

Client out of compliance with probation due to aforementioned stupidity, as well as the usual resource gap. My colleague had him enter a diversion deal before her employment situation changed. I believe he is competent to stand trial, just helpless w/r/t complying with conditions.

Since telling friends and family on my intent for law school it eventually comes up; "what kind of attorney do you want to be". I respond that I want to spend some time as a public defender in my home county (NY finger lakes region).

Then, after I am hit with the "so you'd defend a child rapist?" "Oh but anon, you have kids?!?! How could you?"

any good responses?

I normally go with a de facto obvious:

"How do you know they're guilty? Cause' someone else said so? What if someone accused you? Wouldn't you want someone to fight for your innocence?" Blah blah blah, something along those lines.

Then followed by a lengthy esoteric speech about the importance of our system, and my selfless need to do my duty. The sacrifice our men and boys who have suffered, bled, and died for our system of laws and republic.

I Feel like it's totally unfair my friends and family resort to questioning my moral compass for participating in a system that very well could turn on them at any point.

Thoughts, feelings, and concerns?

Just some highlights, funny things I've seen police do on body worn cam, that I dream about cross examining them on:

Searching a bag without gloves. Then finding out there were adult toys in it.

Being nearly bowled over by a super excited police dog, who then jumped into a vehicle.

Shining his own super powerful flashlight in his own eyes.

Pulling over the sergeant of a different police department and being lectured about the law.

But what you do is important. Hold the line!

I’m an 1811 investigator. If I attended a no named online school (non aba accredited) do you think I could be a federal prosecutor or federal public defender? When I read ausa/ federal defender job descriptions most of them do not mention that the law school needs to be accredited. It really reads that I need to be admitted to a state bar of any state. Any guidance would be helpful.

Hey all,

Might not be the right group for this, but I’m a burnt out PD. I figured PD contracts are a good way to control the intake of cases generally (while also taking private clients). What are the best states for this from your observations?

Oregon seems like they need a lot more people to take contracts. Anywhere else that isn’t super saturated?

Overall how’s your experience been? Do you feel that In general the message is being conveyed? Are interpreters from court different than the interpreters of your own organization ?

Hi all,
Rising 2L looking at different offices for next summer/postgrad! If anyone has any experience working in Clark County, I’d love to hear about it! Also if there are other great offices anywhere I may not know about :)

I will start work as a trial PD in my home state and according to my friends who are also PDs in this state in similar population counties I am almost certainly going to work close to 60hours a week. I am terrified that I will be forced to quit my dream job because of the strain this will put on my relationship with my wife. Ideally with experience my hours will go down (I dont think that's a realistic expectation though) or I will be able to transition to appellate defense, but idk if I can last long enough in trial work to transition in my state. Public defense is my dream job, but I won't allow it to come between me and my best friend.

Would appreciate any tips for working long hours and maintaining my marriage. (Im not as concerned with the subject matter of the job on my mental health, I believe I have healthy expectations)