New Hampshire Public Defender
Katherine Rickert is a professional with experience in various legal and legislative roles. Currently working as a Staff Attorney at New Hampshire Public Defender, Katherine has also served as a Law Clerk at Joel B. Bennett, P.C. and a Student Attorney at The University of Texas School of Law Criminal Defense Clinic. With a background in legislative work as well, Katherine has interned at Texas Senate, Texas House of Representatives, and Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Katherine holds a Doctor of Law degree from The University of Texas School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin with minors in Government and English.
New Hampshire Public Defender
The New Hampshire Public Defender was established in 1972 as a pilot project of New Hampshire Legal Assistance, and has existed as a stand-alone institution since 1985. Its sole purpose is to provide indigent defense services to citizens charged with crimes. The Program began with a single office in Concord. Over time, the Program opened satellite offices in other counties, and established administrative offices in its Merrimack County office, located in Concord, the state capital. In 1981, the Public Defender, in collaboration with the Franklin Pierce Law Center (now the University of New Hampshire School of Law), started the Appellate Defender Program, which provides indigent defense services to defendants who appeal their convictions to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Today, the Public Defender is an independent, non-profit, corporation with offices in every county. The Program works diligently to provide quality representation in a cost-effective manner to indigent defendants accused of crimes in all state courts. In addition to its attorneys, the Public Defender employs legal assistants, investigators, support staff, and information technology specialists, all of whom are dedicated to its core mission of serving indigent citizens accused of crimes.