A public defender is a type of attorney who services people without access to their own. Public defenders work for the government, and are assigned to people who are unable to hire their own lawyers to represent them on a particular case. Typically, public defenders would be the ones to voluntarily choose cases to take up, and this can make the job highly competitive in some cases, and not so much in others, depending on the citizen density of the jurisdiction, as well as its crime rate.
Becoming a public defenders requires a degree in law, attained in the regular way – a candidate must first get a Bachelor’s degree and then go through law school, obtaining a license after passing a bar exam in the end. Becoming a public defender is usually the choice of action for many people studying law, as it offers a high potential for being rewarding, while also offering a good stream of clients if one picks the location to practice the job correctly. Additionally, the pay rate tends to be very satisfying in most areas, even if less than what regular attorneys earn.
Working as a public defender tends to earn less than the money earned by standard lawyers and attorneys working for private clients – in general, the salary for one ranges between $42,000 – $75,000. The job can also be made less attractive by other factors, such as low employment rate (or a short supply of clients to work for). On the other hand, the rewarding factor about it is significantly higher than it is for regular attorneys, as stated by many people who’ve been interviewed.