Orange County Public Defender

Established in 1944, the Orange County Public Defender s office provides legal representation in more than 65,000 cases every year. The office oversees a staff of more than 180 employees. It works to protect the constitutional rights, privileges and freedom of individuals by providing legal advocacy for clients in criminal courts. The Orange County Public Defender s office maintains a parental rights division that represents clients in a variety of dependency cases. It organizes monthly training sessions for lawyers on a range of topics related to the criminal justice system. The Orange County Public Defender s office administers a volunteer-student internship program that features opportunities for interns to observe court hearings related to arraignment, jury selection, opening statement, witness examination, closing argument and sentencing.