[Hiring] Public Defender @the Study

Role Description

This remote paid research study is seeking current or former public defenders with hands-on experience representing indigent clients in the United States. The study aims to map the actual work performed by public defenders, including:

• Primary responsibilities
• Individual tasks
• Smaller work activities
• Dependencies between tasks

The focus is on participants' real professional experience rather than an idealized public defender job description.

During the initial survey, you will:

• Describe your primary responsibilities as a public defender
• Break your work down into specific tasks and smaller activities
• Explain which tasks depend on outputs or information from other tasks
• Describe different versions or variations of the same task where applicable
• Identify the jurisdiction and period in which you practiced
• Provide responses based on your own professional experience

Written instructions and support from a study coordinator will be provided. No outside research or real work product is required.

A later survey may be offered to selected participants, involving:

• Reviewing a combined task tree
• Adding additional details

The scope and compensation for the later stage will be confirmed separately before participation.

Qualifications

• Current or former experience as a public defender
• Hands-on experience representing indigent clients in the United States
• The ability to describe the work you personally performed
• The ability to identify the jurisdiction and period in which you practiced
• Court-appointed and contract public defense experience may qualify

Requirements

• Prosecutorial experience without public-defense experience is not sufficient
• Law school experience without hands-on public-defense practice is not sufficient
• Legal-content annotation or similar legal data work is not sufficient
• Legal practice without experience providing public defense is not sufficient
• Prior experience with similar research projects is welcome but not required

Benefits

• Compensation: $100/hour of reviewed survey time
• Maximum Wave 1 payment: $150
• Flexible schedule
• Payments are made weekly through Stripe or Wise based on completed services

How to Participate

Apply with:

• Your resume
• A short description of your public-defense experience
• Your availability

Applications are reviewed before eligible participants receive a personal survey link. Submitting an application does not automatically enroll you in the study or begin paid survey work.

Research & Confidentiality Requirements

All responses must be based on your own professional experience rather than AI-generated answers. Do not provide:

• Client names
• Case numbers
• Identifying case details
• Confidential information
• Attorney-client privileged material
• Documents or work products from real cases

The study does not require documents from actual cases.

Contract & Payment Terms

• Independent contractor engagement
• Fully remote
• Flexible schedule
• Research activities may be extended, shortened or concluded early depending on project requirements and performance
• The study does not require access to confidential or proprietary information belonging to an employer, client or institution
• H-1B and STEM OPT candidates are not currently supported

Skills

• Public defense
• Indigent client representation
• Task analysis
• Survey completion
• Legal research
• Remote work
• Contractual engagement
• Independent contractor