PART I - ENTERING AND LIVING PD LIFE

Chapters 1-2

Fifty-four Black public defenders took fifty-four different paths to get to one single profession. All of them had to take the LSAT; all of them had to complete law school; and all of them had to pass the New York bar exam. Some of them became public defenders right out of law school; others practiced different types of law before turning to public defense. At some point, however, all of them represented indigent people in New York City; and many of them still do today. Once they became public defenders, they represented clients on criminal matters. They started off handling misdemeanors, then graduated to low-level felony matters, and then moved on up to handle more serious felony cases. They represented clients from arraignment—the first court appearance in every case—to the final resolution, be it a dismissal, an acquittal after trial, or a conviction resulting from a guilty plea or a verdict after trial.

This Part begins by examining Defenders’ journeys and the thoughts and recollections they have on their experiences. It then pulls back the media-assembled curtains on the life of a public defender, giving insight as to the public defender’s day-to-day and general experiences.