Public Defenseless 423 | How the Los Angeles Public Defender is Revolutionizing the Representation of People with Neurocognitive Disorders w/Noah Cox
Dec 2, 2025
Noah Cox, a Deputy Public Defender in Los Angeles, leads the Neurocognitive Disorders Team, aiming to revolutionize legal representation for clients with cognitive impairments. He discusses the challenges in court before the team's establishment and differences between neurocognitive disorders and mental illness. Noah highlights a unique screening process and the importance of empathy in legal settings. He emphasizes client-centered goals and a collaborative approach among legal and support systems, paving the way for effective advocacy for vulnerable populations.
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Cognitive Disorders Often Hide In Plain Sight
- Many people in the criminal legal system have cognitive disorders that standard competency processes miss.
- Identifying and tailoring support to those disorders prevents cycling through the system and improves outcomes.
Uncle's Dyslexia Undermined Legal Remedies
- Noah describes his uncle who was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder but also had severe dyslexia that affected legal outcomes.
- Restoration alone didn't address reading and comprehension needs that later caused probation failure.
High Prevalence Of Cognitive Impairment In Jails
- Research suggests a large share of justice-involved people have developmental, cognitive, or brain-injury histories.
- These deficits map directly onto planning, judgment, and decision-making failures that drive recidivism.