Policy Statement on Workloads

In light of new research and developments in public defense, NAPD adopts this statement: Public defense workloads must be reasonable, ensuring that public defense counsel is able torepresent each client according to prevailing national professional norms. Public defense leadersshould work […]

Statement in Opposition to Louisiana SB8

On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we write to voice our opposition to Senate Bill 8, a bill that would replace the multi-stakeholder Louisiana Public Defender Board with a state public defender selected by the Governor. If enacted, this legislation […]

Letter to Colorado Springs Gazette

The recent editorial “Public defenders aren’t social workers” presents a limited view of the role of public defenders and their impact on our legal system and society. Fiscal responsibility is crucial, but understanding the broader implications of public defense is […]

Joint Letter to Congress on Federal Defender Funding

Joint letter relating to proposed budget cuts of federal Defender Services Even after implementing these emergency measures, the program faces a devastating shortfall: the House mark is $80.6 million less than the bare minimum of what the program needs, and […]

Letter to the La Paz County, Arizona, Board of Supervisors

Letter relating to a decision to close the public defender office The right to be represented by counsel is guaranteed by the United States and Arizona Constitutions because it is fundamental to ensuring criminal trials are fair. Ensuring a person’s […]

Letter to the Aurora, Colorado, City Council

Letter relating to a proposal to close the public defender office The Council is now considering if Aurora can outsource public defense to contractors to receive the same quality of services for a considerably lower cost. It cannot. This approach […]

Press Release: ‘Milestone’ Study Released on National Public Defense Workload Crisis

“Until now, public defenders have relied on standards from 50 years ago to ask for the relief we desperately need. Times have drastically changed, and this new study provides proof of just how serious this Constitutional crisis has become for […]

Open Letter on Transgender Day of Visibility

As we celebrate the Transgender Day of Visibility, we stand in solidarity with transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming people everywhere. We are mindful that these antitransgender initiatives harm our trans colleagues, friends, family members and our clients. Our goal is […]

Statement on the 60th Anniversary of Gideon vs. Wainwright

“We’re reimagining who we are, not settling even for what Gideon envisioned. We’re listening to clients tell us what they need. We’re rooting out our own racial bias and elevating more diverse leaders. And we’re using today’s tools to take […]

Statement on Right to Counsel in Guam

We write today not simply to lend our support for our colleagues in Guam, but to express outrage that a fellow member of the Bar would resort to fear mongering and hyperbole. Attorney General Moylan’s letter undermines public and political […]