Conflict Panel vs. Public Defender: Why Smart Attorneys Are Choosing Panels
The criminal defense landscape is shifting. While public defender offices remain the traditional entry point, conflict panels are emerging as the career path of choice for attorneys who want autonomy, competitive pay, and diverse case experience. Here’s why.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Panel rates of $72–$177/hr can significantly exceed effective PD hourly pay ($36–$70/hr)
- ✓Panel attorneys enjoy full schedule control, case selection, and zero office politics
- ✓Diverse caseloads — misdemeanor through homicide — accelerate trial experience
- ✓Panel work IS private practice: you build your reputation, client base, and courtroom presence
- ✓California’s 58 counties are actively expanding panel attorney pools — this is a seller’s market
The Landscape Is Shifting
For decades, the default career path in criminal defense was straightforward: graduate law school, pass the bar, join a public defender office. It was stable, mission-driven, and offered a clear ladder. But the landscape has changed — and a growing number of smart, strategic attorneys are choosing conflict panels over traditional PD employment.
This isn’t about abandoning the mission of indigent defense. Panel attorneys do the same work — representing people who cannot afford counsel — but they do it on their own terms. Better hourly rates, complete schedule control, and diverse case experience are just the beginning.
The Numbers: Panel Rates vs. PD Salaries
Let’s start with the math. When you convert PD salaries to effective hourly rates and compare them to panel compensation, the picture is striking:
| Level | Annual Salary | Effective $/Hour |
|---|---|---|
| Entry PD (Year 1–3) | $75K–$110K | $36–$53/hr |
| Mid-Career PD (Year 5–10) | $120K–$145K | $58–$70/hr |
| Panel: Misdemeanor | — | $72–$125/hr |
| Panel: Felony | — | $100–$158/hr |
| Panel: Homicide / Life | — | $150–$200/hr |
Sources: California OSPD rate guidelines, county panel schedules, county salary tables. PD hourly rates assume 2,080 annual hours.
Potential annual income for experienced panel counsel at senior rates with full caseload
Source: OSPD rate recommendations, county budget documents
A Note on PD Benefits
Public defender salaries come with significant benefits: CalPERS retirement, health insurance, PSLF eligibility, and paid leave. When you factor in total compensation, a $95K PD salary can be worth $130K+. Panel attorneys must fund their own benefits. But the hourly rate differential is large enough that experienced panel attorneys typically come out ahead — even after accounting for self-funded benefits, malpractice insurance, and overhead.
Autonomy & Flexibility
Ask any public defender what they would change about their job, and “more control over my schedule” is near the top. Panel work delivers exactly that:
Choose Your Cases
Within panel assignment parameters, you decide which cases to accept based on your capacity and interests.
Set Your Own Schedule
Structure your week around court appearances. Non-court work happens when and where you choose.
Work Remotely
Case prep, legal research, client calls, and brief writing can all happen from your own office or home.
Zero Bureaucracy
No office politics, no mandatory meetings, no committee assignments. Your time goes to client work.
This level of autonomy is especially valuable for attorneys with families, those managing health conditions, or anyone who simply performs better when they control their own environment. Panel work lets you practice criminal defense on a schedule that works for your life — not the other way around.
Diverse Case Experience
In many PD offices, new attorneys start on misdemeanors and stay there for 2+ years before advancing to felony work. The progression is slow and structured. Conflict panels offer a faster path to diverse case experience:
Panels assign across case types: misdemeanor, felony, serious felony, and homicide — based on your qualifications
Some panels include specialty cases: mental health defense, juvenile cases, and cases with immigration consequences
Faster path to trial experience than many PD offices where the advancement queue is long and rigid
You build competency across the full spectrum of criminal law, not just one narrow practice area
Case types a busy panel attorney can encounter in their first year
Including DUI, theft, assault, drug offenses, domestic violence, fraud, and more
The Bridge to Private Practice
Here’s what many attorneys don’t realize: panel work IS private practice. You are a solo practitioner taking court-appointed cases. You have your own office, your own processes, and your own professional identity. The transition to retained clients happens naturally as your practice grows.
How Panel Work Builds Your Practice
Build Your Reputation
Judges see your work every day. Prosecutors know your name. Your courtroom presence becomes your best marketing.
Develop Judge Relationships
Working across multiple courtrooms builds relationships that retained clients value. Judges who respect your work refer private clients.
Grow Naturally Into Retained Work
Former panel clients, their families, and courthouse contacts become referral sources. Many successful firms started exactly this way.
Scale at Your Own Pace
Add retained clients while maintaining panel work for steady income. Reduce panel cases as your private caseload grows.
Source: NACDL career development resources. Many of California’s most successful criminal defense firms cite panel work as the foundation of their practice.
Growing Demand: A Seller’s Market
The demand for qualified conflict counsel in California has never been higher. Multiple forces are driving this expansion:
California OSPD standards require adequate conflict counsel capacity — many counties are not yet in compliance
County budgets are expanding panel attorney pools to meet growing caseloads and constitutional requirements
Legislative action (AB 2302 / SB 586) is increasing state funding for indigent defense, directly boosting panel resources
All 58 California counties need qualified conflict counsel — especially in rural and underserved regions
California counties actively need qualified conflict counsel
Source: CPDA legislative updates, county budget documents, 2025\u20132026
Why This Matters Now
This is a seller’s market for panel attorneys. Counties are competing for qualified counsel, rates are rising, and the structural demand is only growing. Attorneys who position themselves now — with the right qualifications and certifications — will have their pick of opportunities for years to come.
Who Should Choose Panels?
Panel work isn’t for everyone — but it’s ideal for more attorneys than most realize. Here are the profiles that thrive on conflict panels:
New Attorneys
Want trial experience fast without waiting years in a misdemeanor queue. Panels offer immediate courtroom exposure.
Experienced PDs Ready for Autonomy
Burned out on office politics and caseload overload. Panel work lets you keep doing defense work on your own terms.
Private Practitioners
Need steady case flow to supplement retained clients. Panel appointments provide reliable, consistent income.
Semi-Retired Attorneys
Want flexible schedules and reduced caseloads. Take only the cases you want, when you want them.
Rural Practice Attorneys
In areas where PD offices are small, panels are the primary source of defense representation — and the need is urgent.
Mission-Driven Attorneys
Want to serve indigent clients while maintaining independence. Panel work is public service on your own terms.
How to Get Started
Ready to explore panel work? We’ve built the resources to help you every step of the way:
How to Get on a Conflict Panel — Complete Guide
Step-by-step walkthrough of the application process, qualifications, and what to expect.
Browse All California Conflict Panels
Searchable directory of every panel in the state with rates, contacts, and application info.
Panel Insights — Compare Rates & Resources
Side-by-side comparison of panel rates, support resources, and practice conditions.
Career Launcher — Take Our Career Assessment
Personalized career assessment that matches you with the right panel opportunities.
Required Certifications
Check which certifications and qualifications you need for different panel tiers.
The Bottom Line
Panel work isn’t a fallback — it’s a strategic career choice. For attorneys who value independence, competitive compensation, and diverse case experience, conflict panels are the future of criminal defense practice in California.
The traditional PD office will always have a place in our system — and it remains an excellent career path for many attorneys. But for those who want to chart their own course, control their own practice, and earn what the market bears, conflict panels offer something that no salaried position can: freedom.
The demand is growing. The rates are competitive. The opportunity is now.
Ready to Make the Move?
Whether you’re a new attorney looking for your first panel or an experienced PD ready for more autonomy, we can help you find the right opportunity. Browse the full conflict panel directory, take our career assessment, or launch your profile to get matched with open positions.