Indigent Defense Capacity Building 

Our capacity building team works with counties, defense systems, and other stakeholders across the state to foster more robust advocacy on behalf of accused persons. Below are some of the forms that work has taken.

Public Defense Mapping Project

California‘s 58 counties provide public defense in as many ways as there are counties. Pursuant to California Government Code 27700 each county designs its own local system.

As part of its mandate to support indigent defense in California, OSPD conducts periodic surveys of all indigent defense systems in California.

Read OSPD’s reports California’s 58 Public Defense Systems and A Snapshot of Indigent Defense in California to learn more about these systems.

Working with Stakeholders

The Indigent Defense Improvement Division works regularly with counties across the state on their indigent defense services.

Panel and Contract Leaders

The Office of the State Public Defender works with, and convenes, panel systems leaders and county administrators through virtual meetings and in-person gatherings to strengthen panel systems across the state.

The Public Defender Shortage

Public defender offices around the state face recruiting challenges. California’s rural and small counties face a particular shortage of attorneys, creating a crisis for the people who live there.

Rural Defender Summer Internship Program

OSPD supports smaller public defender offices through a limited  internship program for law students interested in working in rural public defender offices.

Reach out to the Capacity Building Team

If you are a county leader or public defender interested in technical assistance for your indigent defense system or have questions about what we can offer, please use our Contact Us form to reach our team to collaborate, ask questions, or provide feedback.

Contact Us