public defender service
Fortifying & Reforming The Culture of Public Defense
In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that every person accused of a crime in America must be provided with legal defense counsel, regardless of their economic status or ability to pay.
Stand with Gideon’s Promise
For 15 years and counting, the mission of Gideon’s Promise is to transform the criminal legal system by building a movement of public defenders who provide equal justice for marginalized communities. Gideon’s Promise, through its heroic public defenders, is working to reduce the effects of poverty, build stronger and more resilient communities, and keep families together.
Founded in 2007 by MacArthur ‘Genius’ Fellow, Jonathan Rapping, and former educator, Ilham Askia, Gideon’s Promise has trained and supported over 1,500 public defenders across the country to transform the way public defense is practiced in America. Over 80% of Americans arrested cannot afford a private attorney, and will have a public defender appointed to them. Gideon’s Promise answers the need to have caring, confident and committed public defenders in every courtroom across America. Gideon’s Promise is collaborating with systems and individuals across 27 states to make justice a reality for all.
Lady Justice's Scale Isn't Balanced Yet
80% of people accused of a crime are represented by a public defender. Despite this reality, prosecutors’ offices nationwide receive $3.5 billion more in annual funding than public defender offices.
57% of incarcerated men and 72% of incarcerated women were in poverty prior to their arrest. Still, many states are decreasing funding for the public defenders dedicated to protecting these people.
The average caseload of a Gideon’s Promise-trained public defender is 250 cases per year. The American Bar Association recommends 150 felony cases annually.
Featured Stories
“As a public defender, I have a heavy caseload and I try not to unload my stresses onto them. Thankfully, Gideon’s Promise gave me the skills and confidence to meaningfully represent my clients.”
Read more here.
Meghan Collier
Staff Attorney at the Office of the Public Defender in Atlanta, GA
Featured Stories
“I work hard to provide my clients with the same dedication and service people would pay a lot of money for, because money is not my motivator.”
Read more here.
Kevin Coker
Attorney at the Metropolitan Public Defender's Office in Nashville, TN
Featured Stories
“I do not blame [the public defender] for what happened to my son. I just know that the system needs to be changed.”
Read more here.
Ms. Shana Bennett
Ms. Shana Bennett, whose son didn't receive zealous defense
Featured Stories
“My client was old enough to be in jail, but not old enough to be properly treated in a facility that would help him in becoming competent enough to have a conversation with his attorney.”
Read more here.
Alaina Bloodworth
Deputy Director for the Black Public Defender Association
Featured Stories
“As a judge, I am committed to allowing attorneys–like Gideon’s Promise attorneys–to be able to litigate their case the same way they would be able to litigate it if they were working for a big law firm defending some multinational company.”
Read more here.
Honorable Judge Todd Edelman
Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Featured Services
Support Services & Training For Current & Aspiring Public Defenders
From law school to career maturity, and from endless energy to exhaustion. We're here for you, wherever you might be on your journey in providing public defender services.
Gideon’s Promise supports public defenders from our partner offices so that we can work together to transform the organizations and the systems in which they work.
Featured News & Media
News & Media
Our Secret Weapon: Community
What makes Gideon’s Promise unique is our collective community of public defenders. Having a strong and secure support network is at the core of what makes Gideon’s Promise so successful.
When a public defender chooses to enter this line of work, they do so with passion and a genuine desire to help change the way our country’s legal system operates. The average caseload of a Gideon’s Promise public defender is 250 cases per year; however, the American Bar Association recommends 150 felony cases annually. A public defender’s role defending and protecting the most vulnerable communities throughout the country can become increasingly more difficult and exhausting as they progress in their career due to the lack of resources and manpower within their offices.
That is where Gideon’s Promise steps in. Gideon’s Promise has a wide range of services and resources that engages its public defender community to lean on and utilize for support. We meet public defenders wherever they are in their career. Through our programs, public defenders get to restore their passion for fighting injustice in the communities they serve. They can find a network of like-minded individuals who understand the overwhelming nature of their work. Our programs offer a lifeline to public defenders – our country’s frontline workers in the fight against injustice.
About Us
Who We Are,
For The Record
Gideon’s Promise is a tax-exempt 501c3 that equips Public Defenders to provide zealous protection to people pushed aside or left behind by the criminal legal system. For nearly two decades, we’ve worked to end mass incarceration and to keep Gideon’s promise by transforming the culture of public defense.
Protecting The Promise
You don't have to be a public defender to protect the promise of zealous counsel for all. Your monthly contribution--no matter the amount--will directly impact the fate of a client accused of a crime, who didn't know they needed you.