Technical Assistance Program
Mission Statement
WDA maintains a technical assistance program for felony and misdemeanor attorneys through that is supported by funding from the Washington Office of Public Defense. Technical assistance is available for all court appointed attorneys on felony and misdemeanor cases. This service is available regardless of whether you are a member of WDA.
The resource attorney can help with your public defense cases in a variety of ways, including:
- Helping spot issues that may benefit your clients at all stages of their cases;
- Shaping arguments for pre-trial motions and evidentiary issues that may arise during trial;
- Researching procedural issues;
- Brainstorming trial and sentencing strategies; and
- Providing sample motions, forms and practice advisories.
In addition, the resource attorneys monitor listservs dedicated to their speciality areas. The listserv provides a forum for attorneys to discuss legal and strategic issues and to compare notes on the practice of court in different parts of the state. The listserv is also where the resource attorneys will provide case law updates and practice advisories. For more information on listservs, follow this to Listserv Information. To sign up for a listserv, fill out the following form: Listserv Signup.
The resource attorneys can be reached by phone at 206-623-4321 or toll free at 1-877-925-6012 or by e-mail. Magda Baker handles misdemeanor technical assistance and Cindy Arends handles felony technical assistance.
WDA's resources also include the following:
- Brief Bank
- Expert Bank
- Practice Advisories
- Publications
- Listservs
- Case Law Updates
- Additional Resources and Links
These pages are available to members and indigent defenders only.
Note: Case assistance is only available to attorneys. WDA cannot provide legal advice or representation directly to those accused of crimes or subject to criminal charges.
