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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Orleans Public Defenders

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New Orleans, LA
Orleans Public Defenders

OPD's mission is to fight for our clients by providing client-centered representation, reforming the system and partnering with community.

We provide client-centered legal representation of the highest quality – zealous, conscientious, caring, professional, ethical and skilled – for low income New Orleanians.

06/03/2026

Please join us in welcoming our summer law clerks and interns!

This is one of our favorite times of year at Orleans Public Defenders. Having the opportunity to introduce future defenders to our work, equip them with the tools to serve their communities, and learn from their fresh perspectives is both rewarding and inspiring.

This summer, we’re joined by law clerks, investigation interns, and client services interns. We are grateful that each of them chose to spend their summer with us, and we look forward to supporting their growth while working alongside them.

Welcome to the team!

06/01/2026

Happy Pride Month from Orleans Public Defenders! 🌈

We believe everyone deserves dignity, justice, and hope; both inside and outside the courtroom. This Pride Month, we celebrate the strength, joy, and contributions of LGBTQ+ communities while continuing the work toward a more just and equitable future.

05/05/2026

Each day, we fight for dignity, justice and hope for our clients, both in the courtroom and out. We fight for their right to be safe and well, and their humanity recognized. OPD’s Client Impact Fund directly supports clients and their immediate needs so they can navigate the criminal legal system from a place of safety and dignity.

Support our Client Impact Fund by donating today.
www.opdla.org/donate

04/23/2026

Today, we stand in solidarity with public defenders across the country, highlighting the critical need for full funding. When public defense is under-resourced, communities and constitutional rights are at risk.

03/30/2026

PUBLIC DEFENSE IS NECESSARY.

Huge thank you to , , and for helping shine a light on the work we do; and why it matters so deeply for this community and communities across the country.

It was an incredible night of music, connection, and purpose. We’re already looking forward to doing it again next year.

03/20/2026

On Saturday, March 28, come out to for a night of music and meaning.

Luke Allen and the , along with opener , are bringing the music, while we bring attention to your Sixth Amendment right to counsel.

“Concert for Indigent Defense” shines a light on the fundamental right to counsel and honors the ongoing fight of Orleans Public Defenders and public defenders across the country.

🕗 Doors: 8 PM
🎤 Show: 9 PM

Because justice shouldn’t depend on what you can afford.

Come for the music. Stay for the message.

03/04/2026

Go to to read:

Letters: Let’s not refuse to look into
deaths in New Orleans Jail

Written by: Andrea Armstrong and Danny Engelberg

“Much is left to be answered, but what we know so far is concerning.”

02/26/2026

As we near the end of Black History Month here in New Orleans, we remember one of the most consequential, and damaging, Supreme Court decisions to come out of our own city.

In 1892, Homer Plessy, a New Orleans resident, sat in a whites-only train car to challenge Louisiana’s Separate Car Act. His arrest led to an 1896 Supreme Court ruling, in Plessy v Ferguson, that declared segregation constitutional under the doctrine of “separate but equal.”

That single decision gave legal cover to Jim Crow laws for generations.

It would take nearly 60 years for the Court to overturn “separate but equal.” But the damage shaped schools, housing, transportation, and opportunity across the South; and here at home.

Black history is American history.
And in this case, it’s New Orleans history.

As we close out this month, we remember the courage to challenge injustice, and the responsibility to keep doing so.

02/19/2026

Yesterday we said goodbye to Dr. Norman C. Francis; a man who broke barriers here in New Orleans and changed our community forever.

In 1955, he became the first Black graduate of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, at a time when segregation still shaped opportunity across the South.

He went on to lead Xavier University of Louisiana for 47 years, rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, and receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

From law school trailblazer to transformational leader, Dr. Norman C. Francis opened doors that changed New Orleans forever.

Our sympathies are with his family, the Xavier University community, and all who were touched by his wisdom and service.

01/25/2026

Office Closure Notice
Our offices will be closed on January 26, 2026 due to extreme temperatures.

For court updates and official directives, please check www.criminalcourt.org.

Please stay safe and warm.

Address

2601 Tulane Avenue, Suite 700
New Orleans, LA
70119

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.opdla.org/

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