The Los Angeles Post

Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office Announces Completion of RAND Attorney Workload Study

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A data-driven roadmap for strengthening the future of indigent defense in LA

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office today announced the publication of an independent workload study by RAND, designed specifically to assess the work and capacity required within its Office.

Commissioned and funded by the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office in 2024, the study provides a data-informed assessment of Los Angeles Public Defender workload, looking beyond case counts to examine the time and complexity involved in moving cases from filing through resolution. RAND’s analysis draws on the Office’s case-management and case-complexity data, staffing information, an attorney time study, a structured Delphi process involving experienced attorneys, and input from Public Defender subject-matter experts.

“RAND gives us an independent, data-informed understanding of the work our attorneys and staff are doing every day and what is required to sustain that work,” said Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo D. García. “Our teams continue to do extraordinary work for the people we serve. This study gives us an opportunity to build on that work with a thoughtful, sustainable plan for the future.”

 “The work of criminal defense has changed a lot in a short time. Body-worn camera footage alone can add hours of review to a single case, and mental health diversion asks attorneys to do work that looks nothing like traditional case preparation,” said RAND policy researcher Maya Buenaventura. “Los Angeles County is ahead of most jurisdictions in trying to measure that complexity systematically. Our question was whether the system captures how much effort cases actually require, and where it could be sharpened.”

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

Among its key recommendations, RAND concluded that the Public Defender’s Office should:

  • Build a Sustainable, Multi-Year Approach to Attorney Workload
  • Leverage Technology and AI to Expand Capacity
  • Strengthen Legal Support Capacity Alongside Attorney Staffing
  • Expand and Sustain Holistic Client Support Services
  • Strengthen Tracking of Diversion and Continuing Attorney Obligations
  • Establish an Ongoing Workload and Policy Review Framework
  • Institutionalize Data-Driven Staffing and Budget Planning
  • Invest in Training, Professional Development, and Leadership Development

The County’s $12 million investment in ongoing funding for indigent defense is an important first step. The findings from RAND inform how resources are aligned with the Public Defender’s specific workload needs and serve as the foundation for a sustainable, multi-year plan to strengthen the Public Defender workforce, support staff well-being, and move forward a vision for a Care First, Jails Last Los Angeles County.

“The data gives us a clearer picture of what our office needs,” García said. “Now we have an opportunity and a responsibility to put that information to work.”

The full RAND workload study is available here.