Nothing, other than a private attorney is hired by the Defendant or his family members whereas the Office of the Public Defender is appointed by the Court to represent individuals accused of crimes that are deemed indigent and unable to hire private counsel.  All Assistant Public Defenders have graduated from law school and passed the Illinois State Bar Exam.  They have an understanding of the fundamental principles of the law and appropriate defenses.  The attorneys are licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois.  The Will County Public Defender’s Office has both full-time and part-time attorneys.