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Christopher McKee: On Working as a Public Defender [by Teresa Talerico] For Washington, DC, public defender Christopher McKee, it’s not uncommon to play social worker as part of his job.
A supervisor in the Serious Felony Section of
agency. That’s how you begin to build your
now: DNA evidence, forensic evidence like
the Public Defender Service for the District
resume in the area. You get the contacts that
fingerprints, and crime scene analysis. After
of Columbia and a former public defender in
way, and you also get exposure to the kinds
being in the area for eight years, that’s where
DeKalb County, GA, Mr. McKee often helps
of work you would be doing. Summer clerk-
I find my strengths.
find housing, education, and other social
ships or internships are probably the second
services for clients who are acquitted or
best way to do it. Most law schools will have
Q: What should aspiring public defenders be
released. For example, there was the woman
some sort of organized summer grant pro-
prepared for that they might not expect?
who suffered from bipolar disorder, had
gram for people who work in public interest.
bounced in and out of the criminal justice
The third (option) would be to see, if you’re
A: The entry-level positions will vary a little
system on various drug-related charges, and
a graduate, if you can get an interview with
by office. When I was in Georgia, the entry-
later became pregnant. Mr. McKee eventually
a public defender’s office or see if they have
level position was a difficult job because you
found her a home at a center for mentally ill
an appointed counsel system that handles
had to…handle high-volume caseloads with a
women who are pregnant.
all the cases that public defenders don’t. You
wide variety of different charges.
can get on a list and pick up cases by court “They really stabilized her life,” he says.
appointment.
“Now she has a job and she’s taking care of
In the office here in D.C., we have a training program for the first eight weeks with new
her baby and she hasn’t been in trouble in
Q: Do you recommend joining any organiza-
attorneys. Then you go into juvenile court and
the last two years. Those things are reward-
tions?
begin with bench trials, helping orient you to
ing.”
the social problems your clients face, as well A: The National Association of Criminal
as the criminal case that they have. You do a
Defense Lawyers is a good one. They have a
lot of work, maybe in coordination with social
student membership fee. Any of your local
workers or different agencies, in trying to get
A: I got a master’s degree in theological
jurisdictions will have a criminal defense
your client back on track, while also strug-
studies and my law degree at Emory Uni-
bar, so students or graduates should become
gling with whatever charges they may be
versity. So I went in with a public interest,
active with that. Your local bar organiza-
facing. You sometimes wear the hat of social
service-oriented vocation track. The first
tion usually will have a section for criminal
worker, lawyer, guardian.
internship I did was with a nonprofit criminal
law. It’s actually underutilized by students.
defense group called the Georgia Justice
It’s really an opportunity to be involved with
Q: What kinds of charges would one handle
Project. Once I worked for them, it seemed to
other members of the bar who are devoted to
as an entry-level public defender?
be where I fit the best.
criminal defense.
Q: What advice do you have for aspiring pub-
Q: What is a typical day like for you?
Q: What attracted you to this kind of work?
A: If you start out in juvenile court, you’ll do lic defenders?
everything from a simple assault or unauthorized use of a motor vehicle to a murder
A: I personally do serious felonies, which fall
case.
A: The first way to get a good foot in is to do
into either homicide cases or serious sexual-
an internship. Most law schools will have an
assault cases. I’ve done that for the last two
internship in the area of criminal defense,
years. Those are cases that have usually
if not with the public defender’s office, than
complicated forensic issues and that’s prob-
A: A little bit. Your murder cases…you would
with some other nonprofit or government
ably a little bit of what I enjoy the most right
have a senior lawyer working with you on it.
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Q: So it’s a baptism by fire?