Public Defender Training

Public defenders represent clients who have been accused of committing crimes but who do not have the funds to hire legal counsel. The United States Constitution guarantees the right to a fair trial and having a defense attorney is integral to that guarantee.

Requirements

• To be a public defender, you must have graduated from an accredited law school. young lawyer image by Alexey Stiop from Fotolia.com

  To become a public defender, you must have a degree from an accredited law school. You must also be a member of the bar in the state in which you want to practice. Most states, counties and municipalities require continuing education for public defenders.

Features

• Continuing education courses for public defenders include classes in ethical issues. au long du court image by christophe denis from Fotolia.com

  Continuing education courses for public defenders address topics such as challenges with fingerprinting, sedatives, DNA and crime scenes, immigration issues, ethical issues in representing children, defending battered women, confidentiality issues, capital case law, cross examination, search and seizure issues, client communication and helping defendants with unmet mental health or substance abuse needs.

Types

• Most states, counties and municipalities publish a roster of classes for public defenders. In many instances, the classes are free. Public defenders are required to complete a specified number of hours of coursework to continue in practice. The number of hours varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In most instances, the courses take place in classrooms, although some are offered on videotape and online.