Knoxville, TN

Knox County Public Defender and Community Law Office

In 1963, our United States Supreme Court held in Gideon v. Wainwright that poor people accused of crime were constitutionally entitled to the assistance of counsel. The Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office is the product of the State of Tennessee's response to that constitutional mandate.

Over the course of the last twenty years, staff at the CLO have learned that we are uniquely positioned to "partner" with our clients in ways that might produce meaningful, positive change in the lives of our clients. More so than any other agency or individual in the criminal justice system, clients should look to staff at the CLO as their champions, as people they can trust who will fight for them. Recognizing this potential trust relationship as an opportunity, CLO staff has embraced a client-centered, holistic representation model that combines quality criminal defense representation, supplemented by social services, to provide those opportunities for change. This approach recognizes that poverty, in addition to social, environmental, and personal factors, all play significant roles in an individual's involvement in the criminal justice system. Social factors such as a lack of housing, education or employment, as well as personal factors such as alcohol and/or substance abuse and mental illness often contribute to one’s becoming involved in the criminal justice system. Traditional public defender offices provide legal representation only; however, by emphasizing a client-centered, holistic approach that offers quality, competent, zealous legal representation coupled with comprehensive social services and linkages to other community agencies, the CLO strives to prevent criminal activity, reduce recidivism, and enable individuals to move toward maximum self-sufficiency and contribute to their communities. (Details from the Community Law Office)