About Us

The Guilford County Public Defender’s office was established in 1970 as the first Public Defender’s office in North Carolina. Our office provides professional criminal law representation to those in Guilford County who are charged with a crime and cannot afford to hire an attorney on their own. Our 28 attorneys, led by Chief Public Defender Jennifer Rierson, provide representation to over 5,000 criminal defendants each year in cases ranging from juvenile delinquency to capital murder.

Our mission is to preserve society’s interest in the fair administration of justice by providing high quality, zealous advocacy to indigent clients using superior legal knowledge, preparation, and trial skills.