Nationally, indigent defense services face increasing complexity and severity in substantive and procedural criminal law, crushing workloads and inadequate resources. All of these factors threaten delivery of the effective legal representation which is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Quality training of all defender staff can improve the representation of indigent clients by making staff members more productive, efficient and effective. Other national standards also recognize the critical importance of legal training generally and training for defenders in particular. Continuing education programs should be available, and public funds should be provided to enable all counsel and staff to attend such programs.
Competence is the ethical standard for lawyers' work.
Criminal law is a complex and difficult legal area, and the skills necessary for provision of a full range of services must be carefully developed. Moreover, the consequences of mistakes in defense representation may be substantial, including wrongful conviction and death or the loss of liberty. . . . To meet the need for training, programs should be established for both beginning and advanced practitioners, and should emphasize substantive legal subjects as well as effective trial, appellate and collateral attack techniques. For any organization, continuous improvement through constant training for staff is essential. In defender organizations this includes not only attorneys but also investigators, secretaries, paralegals, social workers, sentencing specialists, managers, computer systems personnel and other employees.