What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 5pm Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm Thursday 8:30am - 5pm Friday 8:30am - 5am

Cook County Public Defender's Office

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Chicago, IL
Cook County Public Defender's Office

We protect the fundamental rights & dignity of our clients & provide excellent legal representation. Call our 24/7/365 ARREST HOTLINE. 844-817-4448. Mitchell Jr.

If someone has been arrested in Chicago or anywhere in Cook County. An attorney will go to the police station to represent them for free. We are one of the largest criminal defense firms in the Country, with more than 450 attorneys and 600 employees overall, representing thousands of Cook County residents charged with every type of criminal offense and child protection violation. The Public Defend

er has the responsibility to staff courtrooms throughout the Circuit Court of Cook County. The Public Defender of Cook County is Sharone R. The attorneys in the office work as his assistants.

07/30/2026

💼 Searching for a new job? Join us in Roseland for free headshots and assistance with your resume! Whether you are updating your resume or starting fresh, our coach will help you prepare.

📅Friday, August 7
🕙10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
📍Freedom Defense Center of Roseland, 11437 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60628
🧷RSVP at cookcountypublicdefender.org/events, send us an email to [email protected], or give us a call at (312) 738-7374

If your closet needs a reset or you aren't sure what to wear - we can help! When you RSVP, let us know you are interested in clothing, and we will provide additional details

07/28/2026

Due to a power outage, the Bridgeview Courthouse is CLOSED today, Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

Update at 11:30 AM: All criminal cases scheduled for initial appearance and EM violations of conditions of release shall be heard at the Sixth District Markham Courthouse (16501 S Kedzie Parkway, Markham).

For information on how cases will be heard see second image, visit cookcountypublicdefender.org/links, or call (312) 603-0600.

07/23/2026

🌞We'll be at Fiesta del Sol today and throughout the whole weekend! Stop by our table in the Paseo de los Expos located in Dvorak Park to talk with our team of Defenders. Test your knowledge on how to protect your rights and grab some resources about the FREE services we offer across Cook County.

07/22/2026

This summer, take the first step towards clearing your record by joining us and our partner r2c2_roseland for one of two upcoming Rap Sheet Days.

📅 Friday, July 24
📅 Friday, August 21
⏰ 12:00 PM
📍 3510 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL
🚨 Please RSVP! Follow link in bio for details.

Transportation from the Freedom Defense Center of Roseland is available if you reserve your spot. The van will depart at 10:45 AM for 35th and Michigan.

07/21/2026

🎧 New episode out now! This week, Assistant Public Defender Edwin Alvarez joins the podcast to share how he found his calling in public defense. In college, Edwin volunteered at a migrant shelter in southern Mexico where he provided support and respite to asylum seekers. The experience revealed to him the ways lawyers can help people in need and empower oppressed individuals. Edwin shares about his experience interning with our office's Homicide Task Force and the feeling of achieving a not guilty verdict.

🔗 Listen now on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2yqSJVEGsS8lhE4xMa5XTZ
Or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defender-edwin-alvarez/id1848984908?i=1000777538618

07/14/2026

📢 Calling all law students and recent grads - we are offering an opportunity to learn more about the criminal and juvenile legal systems through our Fall 2026 Law Student Volunteer Program.

Volunteers will join our office for a 6-to-12 week assignment, working with attorneys for at least 12 hours a week. This position is unpaid but students may receive academic credit and/or a stipend through their school for this volunteer work.

🔗 Learn more and apply today via the link in bio.
📆 Applications are due Wednesday, August 12.

07/07/2026

🎉Join our team! We are hiring for Supervisor, Legal Services - Adult Criminal and Supervisor, Legal Services - Juvenile Justice. The ideal candidates will be prepared to oversee and direct a team of talented public defense attorneys and will advise on trial preparation, investigations, courtroom advocacy, and more.

Review our Hiring FAQs here.

🔗To view full job descriptions and apply, visit the link in our bio.

07/06/2026

🎧Grab your headphones - Season 2, Episode 1 is here!

Tune in for a fascinating conversation with Dorothy Roberts, George A. Weiss University Professor of Law & Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania and author of numerous books about race in the United States and our country's child welfare system. In this episode, Dorothy shares what abolition means to her, dives into the racist beginnings of the child welfare system, and discusses how the system continues to disproportionately harm Black families. Dorothy also talks about the importance of legal representation for families involved in the system and the role that public defenders can play in keeping families together.

📖 Dorothy also speaks about her newest book "The Mixed Marriage Project: A Memoir of Love, Race, And Family⁠."

🔗 Link in bio to listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

07/03/2026

Our office is closed today, Friday, July 3. We will resume business hours on Monday, July 6.

07/02/2026

🎉Join our team! We are hiring for Supervisor, Legal Services - Adult Criminal and Supervisor, Legal Services - Juvenile Justice. The ideal candidates will be prepared to oversee and direct a team of talented public defense attorneys and will advise on trial preparation, investigations, courtroom advocacy, and more.

🔗Apply today at cookcountypublicdefender.org/careers

Address

69 W. Washington, Suite 1600
Chicago, IL
60602

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5pm
Friday	8:30am - 5am

Website

https://www.cookcountypublicdefender.org/, https://www.cookcountypublicdefender.org/links

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