Brennan Center for Justice

Communicating with clients would seem so central an aspect of routine public defense that community defenders would feel no need to mention it. But, with defenders responsible for a range of tasks relating to at times hundreds of cases, they cannot always be available when clients or client family members want to talk. Though it is impossible to always respond to every client, defenders have identified some specific steps to improve communication, for example by providing team representation and asking clients to evaluate their representation experience.

• Maryland Public Defender Client Services Survey
• Maryland Public Defender Community Defense Referral Form
• Knoxville Public Defender Client Self Sufficiency Scale
• Marin County Customer Service Questionnaire (English / Spanish)