Is Public Defense Right for Me?
“Every public defender remembers their first win — the client’s face when they hear they can go home, the hug from family, the rush of knowing you fought the system and won.”
Public defenders come from all kinds of backgrounds and have different personality types. Some love direct client contact and like telling their clients’ stories. Others like to fight for the underdog and enjoy litigating in the courtroom. Still others like digging into the law and writing masterful appellate or postconviction briefs that bend the arc of the law toward justice. Public defenders can also be extroverted or introverted, charming or matter of fact.
There’s no single “public defender personality.”
But there are common values and challenges you should be ready for. This page will help you think through whether this path is right for you—and what type of public defense work might suit you best.
Key question: Do you believe in the Sixth Amendment mission?
This job isn’t just about having a particular skill set—it’s about fighting with and for people the system has left behind to protect their rights and ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect
Use the accordions to explore the realities of the job.
-
Do you like interacting with and counseling clients?
You’ll spend a lot of time listening, explaining options, and building trust with people whose life experiences may be very different from yours.
Many clients are wary of lawyers at first—earning their trust is part of the work.
You’ll need to manage the emotional toll of constant exposure to the trauma the system imposes.Ways defenders cope
Supportive office culture, strong family/friend networks outside of work, humor, having a third thing in your life outside of family and work that brings you joy
Pro tip
Offices with strong camaraderie can make a huge difference. After a tough loss, you might come back to ice cream on your desk from a colleague who gets it.
-
Are you willing to confront and challenge authority?
Public defenders are fighting uphill battles — against better-funded opponents, ingrained biases, and pressure to process cases quickly toward guilty pleas.
Many judges, prosecutors, and police assume defendants are guilty and view public defenders as obstreperous, difficult, and even unethical.
Public defenders must have the courage, strength, and persistence to stand up for their clients’ rights and stand in the way of the system’s assembly-line processing of people into prison.Reality check
You don’t have to be loud, confrontational in your personal life, or made of steel to be a public defender. Many defenders who are naturally calm or introverted in their own lives are very effective advocates for their clients in court.
Pro tip
Not sure if this is the right job for you? Try a criminal-defense clinic or a public defender internship or externship to see how it feels.
-
How do you feel about representing someone who committed a violent crime?
Public defenders often represent people who are guilty of something, not just the wrongly accused. You’ll need to be comfortable defending clients society vilifies, including those accused of serious or violent crimes. Defenders find purpose in many ways:
- Understanding that people are more than the worst thing they’ve done
- Standing with someone in their most difficult moments to support them and show that they are not alone
- Protecting individuals’ rights against an unfair system
- Challenging excessive sentences and harsh prison conditions
- Fighting for the underdog and against the carceral state
Pro tip
Public defenders are part-social worker, part-movement builder, and part-warrior. Lasting in the work requires finding balance among these motivations. When a particular case or client is challenging, find meaning in building the movement or fighting the system. When the system pushes you down, focus on the dignity, humanity, and story of the clients.
MDefenders connects you with others who likely share your interests, beliefs, and values about how people should be treated in the criminal legal system, and it makes all the difference in the world.
What Type of Public Defense Fits You?
Public defenders work at the trial, appellate, and postconviction levels in federal court and in state court. They do adult criminal defense work, juvenile defense work, and family defense work.
-
Trial Public Defenders
- Handle pre-trial investigation, motions, plea bargaining, and trials.
- Constant interaction with clients, witnesses, and courtroom actors.
- Best for: people who thrive on daily variety, quick thinking, and high-energy environments.
-
Appellate Public Defenders
- Focus on legal research, writing briefs, and arguing in appellate courts.
- More solitary and analytical — though some jurisdictions allow record investigation and evidentiary hearings.
- Best for: detail-oriented thinkers who love untangling complex legal issues.
-
Postconviction Defenders
- Reinvestigate old cases after appeals are done.
- Balance field investigation with research, writing, and procedural strategy.
- Best for: persistent problem-solvers who can navigate complex rules and dig deep into long-running cases.
-
Federal vs. State Public Defense
Federal Indigent Defense
- Mostly felony work with charges related to drugs, weapons, organized crime, and economic crime (like money laundering and fraud).
- Better-resourced government investigations and mandatory-minimum sentencing schemes means fewer trials and more extensive motion practice in federal court.
- Higher starting public defender salaries and smaller caseloads when compared to state systems.
- Typically hire lawyers with experience, though some offices have entry-level Research & Writing attorney positions.
State Indigent Defense
- Wide range of crimes, from misdemeanors to serious felonies.
- Larger caseloads, more trials, and more early-career opportunities.
- Structures vary: some states have statewide systems, others are county-based.
-
Specialty Areas to Explore
Capital Defense
High-stakes cases involving the death penalty; involves a mix of trial, appellate, and postconviction work.
Juvenile Defense
Representing youth in a system that claims to care about rehabilitation.
Resources
- The National Juvenile Defender Center
- Models for Change
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Family Defense
Protecting parental rights in child welfare cases and fighting against termination of parental rights.
Structural Reform
Working at policy level to improve defense systems.
Resources
Immigration
Advising on immigration consequences of criminal charges.
Resources
International Defense
Supporting defense systems in other countries.
Resources
Meet MDefenders Alumni
Through MDefenders, you’ll join a network of alumni who are committed to supporting each other and current students in finding, applying, and securing positions in public defense and raising the level of representation wherever they go.
Hear from some of our alumni about the impact of MDefenders at law school and throughout their careers.
Is this path right for you? Next steps for exploration.
- Join criminal defense student organizations at your law school to learn more.
- Take a criminal-defense clinic, do a part-time externship in a public defender office, or spend a summer at a public defender internship early in law school.
- Shadow lawyers handling the types of cases you’re unsure about.
- Ask about office culture—support matters.
- Be honest about your comfort zone, but be open to having it challenged.