Cook County Public Defender
The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender is a government-funded legal services office providing free court-appointed criminal, juvenile, family, and immigration defense representation to indigent defendants throughout Cook County, Illinois, with more than 500 attorneys across 12 locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1930
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cook County Public Defender does
The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender is a government public defender office established in 1930 and headquartered at 69 West Washington Street, Suite 1600, Chicago, Illinois. It provides court-appointed legal representation to indigent defendants throughout Cook County, Illinois, one of the largest unified court systems in the United States. The office employs more than 700 staff including more than 500 attorneys, and represents tens of thousands of clients annually across misdemeanor, felony, traffic, domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, child protection, immigration, post-conviction, and appellate cases. Service delivery occurs through a network of twelve locations including the main headquarters, the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building, six municipal district courthouses, the Juvenile Justice complex, the Domestic Violence Courthouse, and two community-based Freedom Defense Centers in Roseland and Austin. A 24/7 arrest hotline (844-817-4448) dispatches attorneys to police stations at no charge.
The office is organized into specialized divisions covering immigration, family defense, juvenile justice, traffic, and problem-solving courts (Drug Treatment, Mental Health, Veterans Treatment). The organization operates as a unified legal practice rather than a technology platform, with no proprietary software, API, or AI/ML systems disclosed. Service delivery is government-mandated; judges appoint the public defender for defendants who cannot afford private counsel, and all services are provided free of charge to qualifying clients. The office is funded entirely through Cook County government appropriations, with an FY2026 operational budget of $110,318,781. Leadership is provided by Public Defender Sharone R. Mitchell, Jr., who succeeded Amy Campanelli in 2021. The office has expanded in recent years through the 2020 launch of the Immigration Unit (funded via a public-private partnership with the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation) and the 2023 and 2025 openings of community-based Freedom Defense Centers. The office has received national recognition including the 2018 Clara Shortridge Foltz Award from the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and the American Bar Association, and a 2017 NACo Achievement Award for its Police Station Representation program.
Cook County Public Defender firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cook County Public Defender
- Legal name
- Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
- Website
- https://cookcountypublicdefender.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1930
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender is a government-funded legal services office providing free court-appointed criminal, juvenile, family, and immigration defense representation to indigent defendants throughout Cook County, Illinois, with more than 500 attorneys across 12 locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cook County Public Defender industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Defense Legal Services
- NAICS
- Legal Counsel and Prosecution (92213), Offices of Lawyers (54111)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Criminal Defense (BPAHAAAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- State/Provincial Courts & Judicial Administration (BPAIABAE)
Keywords
Where Cook County Public Defender is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices12 records
Markets served
Cook County Public Defender business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Government Appropriation: Funded through Cook County government budget. The operational budget for Fiscal Year 2026 is $110,318,781. Services are provided free of charge to qualifying indigent defendants.
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cook County Public Defender product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender provides free legal defense representation to indigent defendants in Cook County, Illinois, across criminal, juvenile, traffic, family defense, immigration, and post-conviction matters. The office is organized into multiple specialized divisions and operates around-the-clock intake via a 24/7 Arrest Hotline, with embedded social workers and forensic experts supporting defense teams.
Product overview
The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender is a government legal services organization providing comprehensive indigent defense representation across multiple jurisdictions. The organization operates as a unified legal practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, offering criminal defense, immigration services, juvenile justice representation, family defense, and problem-solving courts. Key service divisions include the Arrest Hotline (24/7 attorney dispatch), Immigration Division, Family Defense Division, Juvenile Justice Division, Traffic Court Services, and community-based Freedom Defense Centers. The office also provides expungement assistance and constitutional rights education through multilingual resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Criminal Defense Representation
Companies that use Cook County Public Defender
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cook County Public Defender technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cook County Public Defender partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cook County Public Defender competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cook County Public Defender social profiles
Digital presenceCook County Public Defender financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cook County Public Defender leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cook County Public Defender funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cook County Public Defender M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cook County Public Defender
What does Cook County Public Defender do?
The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender provides free legal defense representation to indigent defendants in Cook County, Illinois, across criminal, juvenile, traffic, family defense, immigration, and post-conviction matters. The office is organized into multiple specialized divisions and operates around-the-clock intake via a 24/7 Arrest Hotline, with embedded social workers and forensic experts supporting defense teams.
Is Cook County Public Defender a public or private company?
Cook County Public Defender is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Cook County Public Defender founded?
Cook County Public Defender was founded in 1930. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Cook County Public Defender based?
Cook County Public Defender is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cook County Public Defender make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Appropriation.
Does Cook County Public Defender have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cook County Public Defender.
What industry is Cook County Public Defender in?
Cook County Public Defender's product category is Public Defense Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAN, Criminal Defense, with a secondary code of BPAIABAE, State/Provincial Courts & Judicial Administration. Its NAICS code is 92213 and its SIC code is 8111.