Case Credits Provide Visibility into Public Defender Caseloads

The guarantees of the Sixth Amendment are not met by simply providing the defendant a warm body with a bar card. The accused is in need of - and entitled to - a zealous, capable advocate who can provide effective assistance consistent with prevailing professional norms.

The system is not working if overloaded public defenders lack the time to effectively conduct investigations, review discovery materials, perform legal research and file motions, communicate with clients, and prepare for court.

Specialized Tools for Public Defenders

Public defense providers must be given the means to properly track case data and case time to accurately manage attorney caseloads. In response, the LegalServer team developed a case credit system to automate this process, and provide caseload insights that weren’t available before.

“I’ve been working with many public defenders whose attorneys have heavy caseloads,” says Steven Rapp, Customer Support & Implementation Specialist at LegalServer. “A common theme is a need to track current workload and to report to funders.”

Public defenders can use case credits to tally the complexity or workload burden of a particular case. For some agencies, this is used to ensure workers aren’t overburdened. Others use this data to bill funders, or prove performance.

“Whatever your goals, the system is designed to save public defenders time - and better serve clients,” says Rapp. “LegalServer’s new case credits feature provides quick and reportable visibility into attorney caseloads.”

Do you know if your attorneys are overloaded? Contact us to demo the new case credits tool and find out.