Attorneys must be certified by SPD in order to take public defender case appointments. Wis. Admin. Code § PD 1.04 provides for several levels of experience based trial and appellate certification. All attorneys receiving case appointments are expected to meet minimum performance standards. Attorneys who have not been previously certified will be provisionally certified for one year before permanent certification.

Step 1: Review rules & standards

Private bar attorneys representing public defender clients should be familiar with the following policies and procedures:

Step 2: Complete application

When first certifying for SPD, all attorneys must complete the general application.

To apply for specific certification levels, attorneys should submit an application. Attorneys can request certification for the following case types based on experience.

General Application

Misdemeanor (Adult/Juvenile/Revocation), Ch. 51/55, CHIPS, and Paternity Application

Class B-I Felony (Adult/Juvenile/Revocation), Ch. 980, and TPR Application

Class A Felony (Adult/Juvenile) Application

Appellate Application

 

Step 3: Submit application

Email the certification applications and any required materials to [email protected]

Attorneys may also mail the documents to: 

Certifications
Assigned Counsel Division
Office of the State Public Defender
17 South Fairchild Street, Fifth Floor
Madison, WI 53707-7923

Step 4: ACD review

ACD aims to process applications within a week.