Public defenders are notoriously overworked, underpaid, and constantly juggling an overwhelming caseload. As a startling New York Times story found this past January, one attorney in Louisiana was working 194 felony cases, while another was balancing 413. Lawyers in certain places are often fielding two to five times the cases they can effectively handle, according to the piece. And they’re doing it for pay that’s far from comparable for the work.