Legal Services

PDS and private attorneys appointed by the District of Columbia courts pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) provide constitutionally mandated legal representation to indigent people facing a loss of liberty in the District of Columbia. PDS handles a majority of the most difficult, complicated criminal cases, while CJA attorneys handle the majority of the less serious felony, misdemeanor, and regulatory offenses.

PDS is a model program applying a holistic approach to representation and using both general litigation skills and specialty practices to provide complete, quality representation in its complex cases. On a day-to-day basis, PDS attorneys provide advice and training to each other, and they often form small teams to handle particularly complex cases.