Indigent Defense

National Survey of Assigned Counsel Rates: We are working with Professor John Gross, University of Wisconsin, to conduct a 50 state survey examining current compensation rates for assigned counsel, comparing those rates to the rates from 10 years ago, and examining how those rates compare to changes in inflation, cost of living, etc. Additional areas of examination we hope to include relate to the costs of operating a law practice to give a better context to these compensation rates. Project will start June 30, 2023 and conclude January 30, 2024.

o To survey defense counsel to assess current attitudes and practices and to determine effective ways to encourage use of experts, investigators, and other support personnel.
o To examine relevant data relating to the use of investigators and experts by assigned counsel in both felony and misdemeanor cases.
o To determine whether investigators and experts are being properly used in public defender offices and managed assigned counsel programs.

JFA Team, Center for Court Innovation and the TTA Client will collectively examine ways to provide police station representation. As a part pf this work, CCI will lead efforts in creating 1) remote learning sessions, 2) on-site needs and readiness assessment, 3) follow-up site visits 4) program and research design/technical assistance.
July 2022- December 2022: BJA approved application for TTA.

The JFA Team and the Neighborhood Defender Services of Detroit will work towards increasing the use of experts and investigators by court-appointed counsel in Wayne County, Michigan.

o To survey defense counsel to assess current attitudes and practices and to determine effective ways to encourage use of experts, investigators, and other support personnel.
o To examine relevant data relating to the use of investigators and experts by assigned counsel in both felony and misdemeanor cases.
o To determine whether investigators and experts are being properly used in public defender offices and managed assigned counsel programs.

JFA Team and the TTA Client will work to 1) identify promising practices to increase the recruitment and retention of public defense providers in the state’s rural communities; 2) identify the best practices for billing and compensation of court appointed and contract counsel; 3) identify best practices for providing meaningful oversight and evaluation of court appointed and contract counsel.

The JFA Team and the Neighborhood Defender Services of Detroit will work towards increasing the use of experts and investigators by court-appointed counsel in Wayne County, Michigan.

Purpose of the webinar is to educate defense attorneys on eligibility and purposes for CESF funding, and to educate defense attorneys and SAAs on how to partner to support defense functions.

Provide scholarship support to indigent defense providers (public defenders and private assigned counsel) to attend NACDL's 2017 Making the Case for Life seminar in Memphis, TN on September 13-15, 2017.

NACDL is in the process of creating a webinar about facial recognition software – the way it is used by law enforcement, its potential for racial bias, and defenses that might be raised against its use and admission in trial. Currently, NACDL has confirmed Clare Garvie, an associate with Georgetown’s Center for Privacy and Technology, as a speaker for the webinar.