Federal Defenders and the Pressure to Hand Cases to Elite Law Firms

This chapter discusses the pressure faced by federal public defenders to give their Supreme Court cases to more experienced advocates. It highlights the criticism received by Justice Sotomayor and Justice Kagan, and examines the increase in first-time advocates and the potential impact on client representation. The chapter also explores the tactics used by advocates presenting a hypothetical to the Supreme Court and the advantage of having repeat players at the high court.