“I’ve been a public defender for seven years. I make less than a first-year attorney at the county attorney’s office.”

Cara Gilbert, a juvenile court public defender in Ramsey County, Minn., regarding the high workloads and low pay for her and her colleagues. Across Minnesota, 470 public defenders and 200 support staff plan to go on strike as early as March 22, which could bring the state’s court systems to a standstill. (Associated Press — March 18, 2022)