Vermont § 5253 - Powers and duties

§ 5253. Powers and duties

• (a) The Defender General has the primary responsibility for providing needy persons with
  legal services under this chapter. He or she shall have also the duty of providing
  legal services to those persons in the custody of the Commissioner of Corrections.
  He or she may provide these services personally, through public defenders employed
  under subsection 5254(a) of this title, or through attorneys-at-law as provided by subsection (b) of this section. No other
  official or agency of the State may supervise the Defender General or assign him or
  her duties in addition to those prescribed by this chapter. He or she may not practice
  law other than in the performance of his or her duties under this chapter or engage
  in any other occupation, except as provided in section 5203 of this title. (b) When necessary or appropriate, the Defender General may contract for the services
  of investigators or additional attorneys-at-law to provide services to needy persons
  covered by this chapter or to carry out any other function of the Office of Defender
  General provided that: (1) the services performed shall meet the professional standards that this chapter prescribes
  for services performed by the Office of the Defender General; (2) the services are subject to the supervision and control of the Defender General, except
  as otherwise provided in section 5205 involving contracts providing for representation
  in cases involving conflict of interest; and (3) the services contracted under this subsection shall be approved by the Secretary of
  Administration. (c) The Defender General shall supervise the training of all public defenders, and for
  this purpose he or she may establish a training course. (d) The Defender General shall consult and cooperate with interested professional groups
  with respect to the causes of crime, the development of effective means for discouraging
  crime, the rehabilitation of convicted criminals, the administration of criminal justice,
  and the administration of the Office of the Defender General. (e) The Defender General may appoint a Deputy Defender General with the approval of the
  Governor, remove the Deputy at his or her pleasure, and shall be responsible for the
  Deputy’s acts. The Deputy shall perform such duties as the Defender General shall
  direct, and in the absence or disability of the Defender General perform the duties
  of the Defender General. In case a vacancy occurs in the Office of the Defender General,
  the Deputy shall assume and discharge the duties of such office until the vacancy
  is filled. (Added 1971, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. date, see note; amended 1973, No. 77, § 42; 1973, No. 266 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 1981, No. 146 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. April 8, 1982; 1987, No. 183 (Adj. Sess.), § 24.)