Each year, thousands of men, women, and children come in contact with the criminal legal system in New Orleans. Unable to afford an attorney, 85-90% are appointed a public defender.
We represent nearly 20,000 people each year utilizing a client-centered, community-oriented defense model that puts the client first and takes a 360 degree approach to our advocacy and representation. We recognize our clients are unique individuals and work to address their needs both in the court and out.
Our diverse staff includes adult and juvenile attorneys; social workers; client, youth, peer and parent advocates; investigators and administrators all working together for equal justice for our clients, their families, our community and a better New Orleans.
In short, we protect innocence, defend the constitution, demand justice, and hold power accountable.
MISSION: OPD’s mission is to fight for our clients by providing excellent client-centered representation, reforming the system and partnering with the community.
VISION: Dignity, Justice, Hope
Created in the wake of a complete criminal justice system failure following Hurricane Katrina, OPD reimagined representation for poor people in New Orleans. OPD brought forth a model and standard of representation never before seen and is now a benchmark for public defense in Louisiana.
We have made significant advances in juvenile representation and mitigation, bond advocacy, and mental health representation; laid the groundwork to reduce recidivism with diversion and alternatives to incarceration programs, spearheaded innovative programming such as Municipal Court at the Mission, Expungement Hour and the creation of our own Client Services Division which connects clients to critical services and programming and advocates for treatment, mental and medical health care, housing, job placement and more.
In the last decade-plus, OPD has established itself as a criminal justice reform leader – advocating for increased fairness, equity, and justice in our criminal justice system. We fight to end Louisiana’s user-pay criminal justice system and protect the rights and well-being of our community.
OPD has been recognized by the Southern Center for Human Rights with the 2009 Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award, the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice for our advocacy of the rights of immigrants, and the Innocence Project of New Orleans with the 2014 Criminal Justice Hero Award. In 2015, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association name OPD as the Clara Shortridge Foltz Award winner, recognizing OPD as one of the premier public defender offices in the country.
