Critical Legal Studies Reading Group: Public Defenders

Our next discussion for the Critical Legal Studies group will focus on the growing problem facing public defenders. On a national level, they are having to cut back.

First, we have a New York Times article addressing the problem: Citing Workload, Public Lawyers Reject New Cases.

On a more local level, MPR has also addressed the issue: Public defenders moonlight to pay off school debt.

To get a deeper look, we'll also be reading Equal Before the Law: Toward a Restoration of Gideon's Promise (43 Harv. C.R.-C.L. L. Rev. 581). The author spent his summers at the Hennepin County Attorney's office and with the U.S. Attorney in Minneapolis.

If you're also interested in (or troubled by) this, come by on Tuesday at 12:15, Room 35.

Update, 11/17: we have decided to move this reading to next semester. Watch for it then, along with some related topics at that time. No reading group Tuesday.