The Impact of Working Conditions on Productivity: Evidence from the US Public Defense System
Publication Date
11-19-2025
Abstract
Public defenders provide essential legal representation to people who cannot afford an attorney. Yet, they do so under notoriously heavy caseloads, raising important questions about how workload affects the delivery of justice. As part of a larger study on public defense, Dr. Amy Mahler analyzed case records from two U.S. states and examined how strict case assignment rules created natural variation in attorney workloads. Her research also incorporated detailed time-use data to better understand how public defenders allocated their limited resources across different tasks. Dr. Mahler’s research sheds light on the connection between workloads and case outcomes in public defense and explores what these connections mean for ensuring fair and high-quality, effective representation.
Document Type
Streaming Video
Disciplines
Criminal Law | Criminal Procedure | Criminology and Criminal Justice | Law | Law and Society | Public Policy | Social Justice
Part Of
CJR Workshop Series
Publisher
Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law, Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center
