NYS Defenders Association Family Court Defenders Survey

Thank you to the providers of family court mandated representation for taking the time to complete this survey from the New York State Defenders Association (NYSDA), made possible by a grant from the New York Bar Foundation. For those of you not familiar with us, NYSDA is a non-for profit organization that has been providing training and legal support services to the public defense community since 1967. We want to know what you view as the major impediments to providing the best possible representation to your clients. By hearing from the people who engage in the “on the ground” representation of clients in Family Court, NYSDA will get a better understanding of your needs. In addition to helping inform our training curriculum and schedule and help us evaluate how to best provide support to family defenders, the survey results (without identifying information of respondents) will be compiled in a report that will be used to educate state and local governments regarding family defense needs.
The survey should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. We are asking for responses by March 20, 2020. Feel free to share this message with other family defenders who may be interested in responding to this survey.
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the survey please email Kimberly Bode at kbode@nysda.org.

General questions

Question Title

* 1. At what type of agency or organization do you practice family court mandated representation?

Primary provider (public defender, legal aid society)

Conflict provider (conflict defender office, public defender, legal aid society)

Assigned counsel program (one county)

Assigned counsel program (two or more counties)

Other

Question Title

* 2. What county does your agency or organization service?

Question Title

* 3. What is your current position?

Director of an institutional provider

Administrator of an assigned counsel panel

Staff Attorney

Member of an assigned counsel panel

Supervisor at an institutional provider

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 4. How would you describe your professional employment work history?

I have always worked at the same place (legal aid, public defender, assigned counsel panel)

Previously worked for a private firm or my own firm (not on an assigned counsel panel)

Previously engaged in public defense at a different institutional provider or assigned counsel plan

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. How long have you been at your current agency or organization?

0-2 years

3-5 years

6-10 years

More than 10 years

The next set of questions applies to members of institutional providers (including public defender and conflict defender offices and legal aid organizations). All others, skip to question #20.

Institutional providers

Question Title

* 6. Please check all the categories of mandated representation cases your organization handles.

Abuse & Neglect

Visitation/Custody

Family Offenses

Child Support Violations

Paternity

Termination of Parental Rights and Judicial Surrenders

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 7. Does your organization handle family court appeals?

Yes

If you answered no, please explain who is responsible for handling family court appeals in your county.

Question Title

* 8. Are you a full time or part time employee?

Full time (family court only)

Full time (mixed caseload of family court and criminal court)

Part time (family court only)

Part time (mixed caseload of family court and criminal court)

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 9. Are you satisfied with the amount, scope, and quality of training your organization provides to its attorneys?

Yes

No (please explain below)

Please explain why you answered no to the above question.