Free Justice: A History of the Public Defender in Twentieth-Century America

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By Sara Mayeux ’05

Published June 23, 2020

In Free Justice: A History of the Public Defender in Twentieth-Century America (UNC Press), Sara Mayeux ’05 delves into the socio-political causes and consequences of underfunded public defenders stretched thin under a staggering caseload. Mayeux provides a nuanced history of public defenders’ place in the American courtroom, illuminating its entrenched roots in a Cold War environment.

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The February 2026 cover of PAW, featuring a photo of Joseph Nye.
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