Justice Department Commemorates National Public Defense Day

To commemorate National Public Defense Day, the Justice Department’s Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) announced the launch of the Public Defense Resource Hub (PD Hub), a one-stop shop with comprehensive resources and materials to support individuals and organizations involved in public defense. The PD Hub will collect existing resources for professionals providing public defense services, public defense commissions, and related organizations from across the federal government and develop additional tools to help defenders access necessary resources, research, and guidance to support the constitutional right to counsel. 

“Every day, in courts across America, the promise of the Sixth Amendment is made real through the dedication and commitment of public defenders,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is proud to stand with the public defenders and criminal defense attorneys who work to carry out the foundational principle, reaffirmed 61 years ago today in Gideon v. Wainwright, that the law protects all of us – the poor as well as the rich, the powerless as well as the powerful.” 

“Last year, I was proud to join the Office for Access to Justice in Florida to announce the Justice Department’s National Public Defense Day Tour,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “This year, by launching the new Public Defense Resource Hub, we take another important step to support the critical work of public defenders nationwide.”

“The Justice Department is committed to supporting modern public defense systems that address the urgent criminal and civil legal needs in communities across the country,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “On National Public Defense Day, we renew this commitment by establishing a Public Defense Resource Hub that will simplify access to federal government resources to strengthen public defense.”

The Public Defense Resource Hub offers numerous benefits and introduces a novel approach to supporting public defense from the Department:

1. Centralized Access: By consolidating all funding information, toolkits, research, advocacy resources, and other relevant materials, the PD Hub provides a one-stop destination for resources to support individuals and organizations involved in public defense.
2. Efficiency: Users can explore a wide range of resources without needing to navigate multiple websites or sources, saving time and effort in finding pertinent information.
3. Increased Resources: The PD Hub will encourage increased resources to support public defense and will empower public defenders with tools to strengthen advocacy efforts, thereby improving the quality of multidisciplinary public defense
4. Transparency: Hosting funding information on the PD Hub promotes transparency in resource allocation for public defense, ensuring that criminal justice stakeholders are aware of available funding opportunities and committed to support equitable distribution.
5. Collaboration and Innovation: The PD Hub will foster collaboration and innovation among public defenders, policymakers, researchers, and impacted communities.

“Providing public defenders with the tools, resources, and support they need to fulfill their critical mission makes our justice system fairer, more equal, and more just,” said ATJ Director Rachel Rossi. “The Public Defense Resource Hub is an innovative first-of-its kind resource to assist public defenders, state, local, and Tribal policymakers, and related professionals to provide the highest quality multidisciplinary legal representation to historically underserved and marginalized communities.”

The Public Defense Resource Hub was developed in response to feedback and engagement during the  National Public Defense Day Tour and National Law School Tour in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright last year, and direct engagements with public defenders, defender commissions, Tribal defenders, and law schools across the country. These included visits with public defense leaders, law students, impacted communities and other justice system stakeholders in Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Las Vegas; Nashville, Tennessee; Des Moines, Iowa; Concord, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; Missoula, Montana; Seattle, Washington; and Dallas.

On March 21, the office will conclude its National Law School Tour with a final stop at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, where Director Rossi will announce the launch of the Public Defense Resource Hub and speak to law students about the nation’s critical need for public defenders and the future of public defense.