Office Information

Sherri McGuire Lawson, Director
Rick Miller, Deputy Director

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Maricopa County Office of the Legal Defender is to provide quality legal representation to indigent individuals assigned to us by the court, thus safeguarding the fundamental legal rights of each member of the community.

VISION STATEMENT

In order to provide the highest quality legal representation to our clients, the Legal Defender will:

  • Consistently seek just and equitable treatment for our clients.
  • Defend the Constitutions of the United States and the state of Arizona.
  • Ensure that every client receives high quality and aggressive representation without regard to their economic or social situation and without regard to the nature of the accusations against them.
  • Protect our clients from any governmental overreaching.

SERVING THE PUBLIC

The Office of the Legal Defender continues to rival any private sector counterpart in legal knowledge, effectiveness, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility.

Maintaining Best Practices

With the finest legal representation as the overriding goal, the Office maintains its successful operating practice of:

  • Participating in inter-agency activities to maintain currentness and cooperation
  • Providing training opportunities to office members to enhance their skills
  • Supporting the in-house and inter-agency use of advanced technology
  • Updating Office members on legal issues, court matters, and governmental policy changes

Meeting Goals

Increased use of advanced technology allows the Office of the Legal Defender to meet goals of serving clients, and subsequently the general public, in a measurable, cost-effective manner.