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.
| Court | Level | Case Types | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trial | Misdemeanor | Misdemeanors & Paternities (Basic Level) | Form |
| Special 1 | Civil Commitments/Guardianships/Protective Placements) | ||
| Special 2 | Ch. 48 CHIPS and Ch. 938 Juvenile Delinquency (misdemeanors) | ||
| Special 4a | Revocation of Probation, Parole, or Extended Supervision (misdemeanors) | ||
| 2 | Class G, H and I Felonies | Form | |
| 3 | Class D, E and F Felonies | ||
| 3B | Class B and C Felonies, Chapter 980 Commitments | ||
| Special 2A | Ch. 938 Juvenile Delinquency (Class E, F, G, H, I Felonies) | ||
| Special 2B | Ch. 938 Juvenile Delinquency (Class B, C, D Felonies) | ||
| Special 3 | Termination of Parental Rights | ||
| Special 4B | Revocation of Probation, Parole or Extended Supervision (felonies) | ||
| 4 | Class A Felony | Form | |
| Appellate | 1 | Misdemeanor cases, unclassified crimes, sentencing after revocation cases, paternity cases and class G to I felony cases | Form |
| 2 | Class A to F felony cases and Appellate 1 cases | ||
| Special 1 | Appellate TPR | ||
| Special 2 | Appellate Juvenile | ||
| Special 3 | Appellate Civil Commitments | ||
| Special 4 | Appellate 980 |
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.