From Barriers to Solutions: Addressing Recruitment and Recruitment Challenges among Court-Appointed Attorneys in North Carolina

• In Event: Data in Indigent Defense: Resource Shortages and Solutions in Public Defense

Abstract

RTI International conducted an exploratory study of the public defense workforce in North Carolina (NC). A shortage of public defense attorneys has been documented in jurisdictions and states across the US, particularly in rural areas. Shortages of these attorneys can result in lengthy pretrial periods for individuals and backlogs for courts as prospective clients await representation and can even increase jail populations. Private assigned counsel (PACs) are integral to meeting the demand for public defense representation even in jurisdictions with public defender offices, but jurisdictions are also experiencing a shortage in private attorneys who are willing to take on court-appointed cases, especially in rural areas. Limited research has examined the factors that motivate private attorneys to serve as PACs and the challenges that may keep them from doing so. RTI conducted interviews with defense attorneys working in rural areas and other court and public defense stakeholders to understand these challenges and identify promising solutions. In this session, we will describe this study, its findings, and recommendations to understand the challenges and benefits of PACs and rural defense, retention and recruitment issues in this field, and strategies to incentivize attorneys to court-appointed and rural defense in North Carolina.

Authors

• Venita Embry, RTI International

• Catherine Grodensky, RTI International

• Bonnie Hoffman, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers