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Jolene Farley
CST 300 Writing Lab
September 7, 2021

Criminal Defense Law

Part One – The Industry

Criminal defense law is the practice of ensuring that every defendant in a criminal case

receives adequate representation in the justice system. Lawyers who specialize in criminal

defense are protectors of civil liberties as they relate to criminal justice. As the world moves into

the post-digital age, there is a need for lawyers who are well-versed in technology to understand

cyber crimes and the laws based around them. This is especially true for defense lawyers, who

must be able to craft strong, technologically sound defenses for defendants accused of these

crimes. This essay will discuss some of the major players in criminal defense, how technology

has impacted the industry, and the kind of career path one can expect to prepare for while in

school.

Overview

Many private organizations work to promote the practice of criminal defense law and

raise awareness of equity issues in the justice system. Some of the larger organizations include

the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, who provide resources and assistance on

cases focused on certain initiatives, such as First Amendment rights (“First Amendment,” n.d.)

and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who advocate for policy that reduces

incarceration and promotes equity and litigate cases that fall under those policies (“ACLU

Criminal,” n.d.). Aside from these organizations, there are many private firms who handle cases

in court and are hired directly by defendants. In the public sector, there are public defendants

who represent indigent defendants and are hired to do so through the public defender’s office in
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the jurisdiction of the case. Each county generally has its own public defender’s office and the

larger the county, the more coverage the office has. This work allows for people of all

backgrounds to be represented through the court process, rather than only those who can afford

to hire a private attorney.

A Specific Company

General Information

According to 2019 US census estimates, San Diego County is the second largest county

in California (“County Population Totals,” 2019). The San Diego County public defender’s

office is headquartered in the city of San Diego. There are several branches throughout the

county for both the primary and alternate public defender, and additional offices for specific

kinds of defendants, such as juvenile defendants or those accused of major crimes

(“Locations/Localizacion,” n.d.). The alternate public defender serves as defense in cases that

can not be defended by the primary public defender due to a conflict of interest. The San Diego

County public defender’s office employs hundreds of staff, with 365 people as of 2017,

according to Pollock (2017).

Brief History

The office first opened in 1988 through a San Diego County resolution. The role of

public defenders has not changed, but the office has steadily increased its number of branches as

well as taken over and created more specialized services over time. These services include the

juvenile and major crimes offices, as well as a mental health unit. The office continues to state its

mission as “protect[ing] the rights, liberty, and dignity of all persons…and maintain[ing] the

integrity and fairness of the American justice system” (“Office of the Public Defender,” n.d.).

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Major Players

The highest authority in the office of the public defender is Randy Mize, who holds the

title of Public Defender of San Diego County (“Office of the Public Defender,” n.d.). He

oversees the staff and cases for the primary public defender’s office. Mize attended law school at

Western State University in California (“Attorney Profile,” n.d.). After admission to the State bar

of California in 1987, he was one of the first attorneys to work for the office and has remained

there, holding various positions over the last thirty-three years. One of his more notable positions

in the office was as the Juvenile Delinquency Branch Supervisor where he defended high-profile

juvenile defendants. He was appointed to his current position after the retirement of the previous

Public Defender, Henry Coker, in 2017 (Pollock, 2017).

Services

As a government entity supporting the public, the public defender’s office does not

provide services in the same way as a private, profit-based organization. The services they offer

are a function of the justice system and are provided on an as-needed basis to defendants in the

jurisdiction of the office. The types of cases being defended depend on what charges are brought

forward by the district attorney’s office. Work on a case can include investigation, filing

paperwork, negotiation on sentencing, and in-court representation.

Reputation

Public defender’s offices in general can have difficulty with maintaining a positive public

reputation given both the nature of the job and the fact that it is a public service subject to

approved budgets. Often, budgetary constraints necessitate that offices carry out their work with

inadequate resources. As an example, McDonald points out that some offices like Fresno County

can become overwhelmed with cases, far exceeding the availability of lawyers on staff (2020).
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Situations like this often lead to criticism, as it is believed that the staff handling cases do not

have the time or resources to represent defendants adequately as required by law. There is often

concern that caseloads in offices like this result in unjust outcomes. Additionally, district

attorney’s offices tend to have much greater funding and many more resources and staff

available than a public defender’s office; San Diego County is no exception. The county has

faced criticism from people who believe that this budget discrepancy between the offices leads to

a discrepancy in justice, a strong concern when 80% of defendants need public defender services.

This view of the budget allocation in the county is contested by some members of these offices,

including both Randy Mize and current District Attorney Summer Stephan (McDonald, 2020).

Defenders of the current budget allocations cite the fact that district attorney’s offices handle

more cases, as the public defender’s office is only needed in cases that result in charges pressed

against indigent defendants.

Trends

Law as a profession is growing at a rate equivalent to average job growth in the U.S.,

approximately 9% (“Lawyers,” n.d.). Law offices and public defender’s offices continue to hire

law school graduates who have passed the bar exam in their state on an as-needed basis. In the

American Bar Association’s most recent report on employment, over 70% of 2020 graduates

were employed in a position that required passage of the bar exam, and less than 10% were

unemployed (“Employment Outcomes,” 2021). While the job of criminal defense attorneys has

not changed, there has been a change in the kinds of crimes being committed. According to the

most recent data from the Internet Crime Complaint Center, there has been a continued increase

of cyber crimes year upon year (“Internet Crime Report 2020,” 2021). This included a 56%

increase in total cyber crimes in the U.S. as compared to 2019. The issue is especially prevalent
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in California, which ranked number one in complaints in 2020 with over 69,000 victims

identified. Additionally, the justice system itself has increased its reliance on technology in

recent years, with law enforcement agencies using AI facial recognition software and courts

holding session virtually over platforms like Zoom. Given these trends, lawyers need a

competent understanding of current technology to build stronger cases that make sense in a

technical landscape.

Part Two – You

Jobs

Work as a public defender in a county office or as a criminal defense attorney for a large

civil liberties organization would be the ideal pinnacle for a career. Reaching that goal typically

depends on a variety of experience at lower levels, including clerkships, court staff positions, and

deputy attorney positions. These positions provide the valuable work experience that

successfully leads to higher, more noteworthy positions within both public offices and private

organizations.

Your Approach

Education

The first step toward a career in law, after obtaining an undergraduate degree, is attending

law school. This requires passing the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Several core classes

in the California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) Computer Science curriculum are

useful in preparation for taking the LSAT, which consists of reading comprehension, analytical

reasoning, and logical reasoning (“What is the LSAT,” n.d.). Discrete Structures, a required

prerequisite class for the CSUMB program, includes a major introduction to logic. A CSU

graduation requirement, Critical Thinking, is also an extensive introduction to logic and analysis,
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apart from its relation to computers. The classes Algorithms and Reasoning with Logic build on

the foundation from these two classes to flesh out deeper understanding in this area and apply the

concepts to a framework of technology. With additional electives taken at Riverside City College

(RCC), including Legal Ethics, Legal Research, and Concepts of Criminal Law, an undergrad

from the CSUMB Computer Science program can have not only a strong basis of knowledge for

taking and passing the LSAT, but also a familiarity with legal classwork that is similar to law

school. To obtain an exceptional LSAT score and remain competitive for merit-based

scholarships and acceptance to high-ranking schools, some additional study on the test itself will

be necessary during the Senior year of an undergrad. This can include taking both timed and

untimed practice exams, reviewing questions from previous years, and studying the concepts of

each section with exam prep guides. Finishing an undergraduate degree in Computer Science

provides a unique background in technology that is useful after law school, once in practice as a

lawyer. This knowledge helps criminal defense attorneys to navigate cases involving issues like

cyber crimes and AI facial recognition.

Preparation

Outside of school, preparation for a career in law includes internships and volunteer

experience. Many public defender’s offices have internships available for second and third-year

law students. For a person who desires to work in a large public defender’s office like San Diego

County or Los Angeles County, interning at the office during the second and third year at law

school would be an invaluable asset. Working in one of these internships allows for networking

with staff, setting expectations for what future work would entail, and gaining perspective on

whether that career choice is a good fit for a given personality. Volunteer work is another helpful

path to take outside of any internships. Private organizations like the ACLU often have volunteer
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positions available. This work may be less focused or provide less experience with a specific

career than an internship would, as private organizations have other considerations such as

awareness campaigns and fundraising. However, the opportunity still provides a chance to

network, ask questions, and learn about the mechanics of a workplace of interest. Together, these

volunteer and internship opportunities provide a solid foundation of work experience that can

help lead a new lawyer toward a clerkship position, a first step on the career journey ahead.

A career in law can be a difficult achievement considering the many years of school,

outside work for personal and career development, and long hours once in the profession. A

public defense track can be especially difficult, given the poor reputation of the industry and

difficulties of the public sector like budgetary constraints and a lack of choice in work. Once past

these struggles though, the career is one that is highly rewarding. The ideals of the justice

system, with equity for all people, are strong motivators to work towards, and the contribution of

the lawyers who work in the system is significant. There will be a growing need for lawyers with

technological skills as we continue into the post-digital age and rely increasingly on new

technologies in all aspects of life. A foundation that starts with computer science and is built on

with legal knowledge, experience with the system, and time spent with the people subject to the

court is one that will be a basis for a competent and successful career for the future ahead.
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References

ACLU criminal law reform project. (n.d.). ACLU. Retrieved September 12, 2021 from

https://www.aclu.org/other/aclu-criminal-law-reform-project

Attorney profile William Randall Mize #131677. (n.d.). The State Bar of California. Retrieved

September 21, 2021 from http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Licensee/Detail/131677

County population totals: 2010-2019. Annual estimates of the resident population for counties:

April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019. (2019). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2021

from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-counties-

total.html

Employment outcomes as of April 2021 (class of 2020 graduates). (2021, April 20). American

Bar  Association. Retrieved September 12, 2021 from https://www.americanbar.org/conte

nt/dam/aba/administrative/legal_education_and_admissions_to_the_bar/statistics/class-

of-2020-employment-summary-release.pdf

First amendment strike force and mass defense unit. (n.d.). National Association of Criminal

Defense Lawyers. Retrieved September 12, 2021 from https://www.nacdl.org/Landing/Fi

rstAmendmentStrikeForce

Internet crime report 2020. (2021). Internet Crime Complaint Center. Retrieved September 21,

2021 from https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3Report.pdf

Lawyers. (n.d.) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved September 7, 2021

from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/lawyers.htm

Locations/Localizacion. (n.d.). San Diego County Office of the Public Defender. Retrieved

September 7, 2021 from https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/public_defender/lo

cations.html
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McDonald, J. (2020, July 20). Scales of justice can be tipped by spending on prosecutions, public

defenders. The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved September 7, 2021 from https://ww

w.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/story/2020-07-20/scales-of-justice-can-be-

tipped-by-public-spending

Office of the Public Defender. (n.d.). San Diego County Office of the Public Defender. Retrieved

September 7, 2021 from https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/public_defender/aboutus/

Pollock C. (2017, March 10). San Diego County appoints new top public defender Randy Mize.

Times of San Diego. Retrieved September 7, 2021 from https://timesofsandiego.com/poli

tics/2017/03/10/san-diego-county-appoints-new-top-public-defender-randy-mize/

What is the LSAT? (n.d.). Law School Admission Council. Retrieved September 12, 2021 from

https://www.lsac.org/lsat