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We’re here Monday – Friday
Monday – Friday · 8:00am – 4:30pm
Main Office
201 Poplar Ave, Suite 2-01
Memphis, TN 38103
Also about us
About SCPD
The Shelby County Public Defender provides high-quality, client-centered legal representation for every person in Shelby County who cannot afford a private attorney — from the first court appearance through the final appeal.
The Mission Statement
We believe that the quality of your legal defense should never depend on the size of your bank account. We exist to make that belief real — in every courtroom, every day, for every client.
Public defense is not charity. It is a constitutional obligation, and we fulfill it with the same skill, preparation, and commitment that the best private attorneys bring to their most important cases. Our clients deserve nothing less.
What This Means in Practice
Our mission shapes everything: how we hire, how we train, how we measure success, and how we treat the people who trust us with their freedom. We measure our work not just by outcomes but by whether each client genuinely felt heard, respected, and fought for.
- Client-centered representation. We listen first. Every defense begins with understanding the full human being in front of us — their story, their circumstances, their goals.
- Excellence without exception. We hold ourselves to the same standard of preparation and advocacy regardless of the charge, the court, or the client.
- Dignity in every interaction. People in the criminal justice system are often dehumanized by the process itself. We push back against that — in how we communicate, how we advocate, and how we treat the people we serve.
- Systemic awareness. We see our clients as individuals and as part of a larger picture. Good public defense means both fighting for each person and understanding why so many people need us in the first place.
Read about our values
See the principles that guide how we work.