What Clients Want: Drivers of Client Satisfaction with Indigent Defense.

• In Event: Legal Services for the Indigent – Integrating Awareness of The Client’s Experience into Research and Practice

Abstract

Metrics for indigent defense have traditionally focused on case processing—caseloads, case length, etc.—or case outcomes—the number of dismissals or acquittals, alternatives to incarceration, etc. Yet researchers, government agencies, and defender organizations have increasingly recognized that these metrics are insufficient to accurately evaluate the quality of defense services. A growing body of research shows that client perceptions of their defenders are influenced by more nuanced and complex factors, such as whether they feel informed about their cases and whether they feel heard by their advocates. Beginning in 2001, The Bronx Defenders has conducted a series of client satisfaction surveys in order to evaluate our practice. These past surveys, however, assumed that we, as attorneys, understood the factors driving client satisfaction. Last year, for the first time, the Bronx Defenders conducted a series of focus groups asking clients what shapes their perception of their attorneys. Our 2016 study will build upon this initial work to further explore what factors affect incarcerated and non-incarcerated clients’ experience with their defenders. From this research, new tools can be developed to provide a broader and more accurate picture of whether defenders are meeting the needs of the people we serve.

Authors

• Amalea Smirniotopoulos, Bronx Defenders

• Rebecca Widom, Bronx Defenders

• Karume James, Bronx Defenders