The Luzerne County Public Defender’s Office attorneys have a wealth of legal experience, training and knowledge as more than half of our staff attorneys have fifteen to forty years of legal experience. In addition to their professional law school doctorate, master’s level and/or bachelor level college degrees, licensures and years of experience, the staff attorneys are committed to attending continuing legal education training seminars by such entities as: the nationally-recognized Gideon’s Promise, the Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Public Defender’s Association of Pennsylvania, the Juvenile Defender’s Association of Pennsylvania and the National Juvenile Defender Center, to ensure they have the most up-to-date legal knowledge available in the defense community.

In Summary

Office lawyers strive to professionally and personally attend to the needs of each client to protect their constitutional rights, zealously advocate for them, ensure fair treatment in the system, and to help them be competent and productive members of society, prevent recidivism and to deter them from re-entering the criminal justice system.

The Luzerne County Public Defender’s Office is confident that with our client-centered method of defense representation, in combination with our commitment to ongoing legal training, the open communication of system partners, and the exploration and utilization of community resources, that our Office fully meets our Constitutional mandate for effective legal representation.