Fellowship Program Addresses Public Defender Shortage

Fellowship Program Addresses Public Defender Shortage

Across the country, states are struggling to provide legal counsel to those going through the criminal court system. A lack of funding and overwhelming workload have led to a shortage of public defenders. In Washington, the state's supreme court recently set new standards, slashing the maximum number of cases that a public defender can be assigned in a year, but many say that’s not enough. Now, the state is launching a program to recruit and tra…

Fellowship Program Addresses Public Defender Shortage - Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien

Across the country, states are struggling to provide legal counsel to those going through the criminal court system. A lack of funding and overwhelming workload have led to a shortage of public defenders. In Washington, the state’s supreme court recently set new standards, slashing the maximum number of cases that a public defender can be assigned […]