Standard:

Each agency or firm providing public defense services should provide one full-time supervisor for every ten staff lawyers or one half-time supervisor for every five lawyers. Supervisors should be chosen from among those lawyers in the office qualified under these guidelines to try Class A felonies. Supervisors should serve on a rotating basis, and except when supervising fewer than ten lawyers, should not carry caseloads.

Related Standards:

National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals, Task Force on Courts, 1973, Standard 13.9.

National Legal Aid and Defender Association, Guidelines for Negotiating and Awarding Indigent Legal Defense Contract, 1984, Standard III-16.

Seattle-King County Bar Association Indigent Defense Services Task Force, Guidelines for Accreditation of Defender Agencies, 1982, Guideline Number 4.

Commentary:

The most important function of supervisors is ensuring effective representation. Defender offices are not simply confederations of individual attorneys, but organizations whose effectiveness is measured, in part, by their ability to introduce young attorneys to the practice of criminal law. Many new defenders lack experience and need close supervision as they gain familiarity with specific courts and procedures and work toward developing effective trial advocacy skills. The mere granting of a law degree and admission to the bar do not automatically qualify a lawyer to represent a client in criminal matters.

Supervision is also essential to evaluate the performance of staff attorneys in order to make recommendations regarding promotions or termination and to help coordinate services and ensure that office policies are understood and followed.