North Dakota just enacted SB 2226 & HB 1417—ensuring counsel at first appearance, eliminating public defender fees, and ending recoupment. 6ac.org/big-public-def… #RightToCounsel #SixthAmendment #CriminalJusticeReform

These attorneys defend clients in need. Their pay is being frozen for months: Lawyers and judges have expressed concerns about a pay freeze for attorneys representing indigent clients nationwide. “Mark Berman” The Washington Post buff.ly/RgkQPsF

“Mark Berman” The Washington Post "A group of attorneys representing clients who cannot afford legal representation in federal cases are set to have their pay halted for more than two months because of budget shortfalls in the congressional spending bill passed this year, court officials say

“Mark Berman” The Washington Post "Not getting paid for months 'can be devastating for a small firm,' said [NACDL Board Member] Jessica N. Carmichael, an attorney at a firm in Alexandria, Virginia, who works on CJA cases in Virginia & D.C.

“Mark Berman” The Washington Post "@lmonet, executive director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, denounced the delayed payments, saying they represented 'a broken contract with committed legal professionals who uphold the right to counsel.'

“Mark Berman” The Washington Post Lisa M. Wayne, Esq. "'This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a crisis that threatens to cripple our ability to provide effective public defense, leading to backlogs, attorney shortages & ultimately, a denial of due process & fair outcomes'... she said in a statement."

Kansas is expanding access to justice that heals. 33 specialty courts now serve 27 counties, offering real solutions for substance use & mental health. This National #TreatmentCourtMonth, we celebrate the success & growth of these vital programs. #KSCourts

New #DataforDefenders motion to discount ShotSpotter alerts in reasonable suspicion analyses with research from NYC, Chicago, Houston & Dayton showing alerts are unreliable, don't reveal gun-related crime or weapon use, & are unparticularized. datafordefenders.org

New #DataforDefenders motion arguing for diversion to restorative justice programming, citing research that restorative justice better reduces recidivism compared with traditional sentencing and works even in the absence of victim participation. datafordefenders.org

A thread about mentoring in the legal profession -- and, perhaps, in life more generally. 🧵

Law students: this should be an important job-search criterion whenever you have choices. If you have a chance to work with a good person who is a good lawyer who shows genuine interest in mentoring you, that’s invaluable.

#FundPublicDefense

A new report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) makes a clear and urgent case: charitable bail funds like The Bail Project are safer, more just, and better for communities than the for-profit commercial bail bond industry. This report is a timely reminder of what’s at

This week, I have been able to cover how Public Defenders can combat racial bias in the criminal legal system. On Tuesday, San Francisco Public Defenders Sujung Kim and Lilah Wolf discussed how they used the Racial Justice Act to oppose implicit racial bias in their client's case

Today, I spoke w/Hans Menos and Rob Kenter of Policing Equity to discuss the role Public Defenders and data can have in creating more equitable systems of public safety.

Pretrial detention is a public safety concern. It makes people lose jobs, housing & government benefits – life-altering consequences that judges ignore. How does this leave anyone better off? prisonpolicy.org/blog/2024/08/0…

I love that my timeline is currently littered with public defenders, law professors and random Swifties all clowning over the upcoming New Heights podcast together with relatively equal amounts of giddiness.

Everywhere that’s reduced pretrial jailing—even modestly—has seen the same outcome: more safety, more freedom, and massive cost savings. That’s not spin. It’s data, across wildly different jurisdictions. justjournalism.org/page/bail-refo…

A three-judge panel from the Kansas Court of Appeals will hear oral argument Tuesday, September 16, @WashburnLaw in Topeka. buff.ly/M1EZCaZ #KSCourts

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. Except it doesn’t bend on its own—it bends because we pull it in the direction of justice. What keeps me hopeful during times like these is being surrounded by people who are doing just that.