Original sentence: A public defender is a lawyer whose duty is to provide legal counsel and representation to criminal defendants who are unable to pay for legal assistance.In some, indigent defendants are represented by private attorneys that are appointed by the court, or by non-profit legal aid attorneys.Not all counties have public defender offices.Public defenders are employed by the government (at the federal and county level), as opposed to private attorneys
Edited sentence: A public defender is a lawyer who provides legal counsel and representation to criminal defendants who are unable to pay for legal assistance.Finally, The Defender Association of Philadelphia, and the King County Public Defender in Seattle are widely recognized for their zealous representation of indigent defendants.Others work for "legal aid" offices which are usually not for profit organizations that contract with cities or counties to provide indigent defense services.Some public defenders are employed directly by the government.Still others are private practitioners who take court assignments.The Bronx Defenders, an innovative public defender office in the South Bronx is known as one of the most innovative offices in the country, having spearheaded a new movement among defender organizations toward a more 'holistic' model of representation.The Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia too is well regarded with a long tradition of aggressive representation, and excellent training and expertise.There are a number of public defender offices around the country that are particularly highly regarded.Though often overworked and generally underfunded, public defender offices provide the bulk of criminal defense services around the country