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Marshall Hartman Papers

 Collection
Identifier: NEJL-059

Scope and Contents

The records that are part of the collection reflect MH’s long career as a defender and educator at the local and national level. They also reflect his professional service and activism on behalf of the legal aid and defender movement, including his long-time service for the NLADA. The materials include correspondence, conference papers, reports, some case files, training manuals, books, brochures, and a few photos.

Dates

  • 1967 - 2017

Narrative note

Mr. Hartman graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago in 1954, with a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago in 1957 and with a Bachelor in Hebrew Letters, College Jewish Studies, Chicago, 1954. He served the indigent and disadvantaged through the public defender movement for more than four decades. Hartman also has served as National Director of Defender Services for the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and from 1991 to 2003, he led the Capital Litigation Division of the Illinois State Appellate Defender Office. He also has evaluated and provided technical assistance to numerous public defender offices to raise their standards of representation for the poor. In his years as a public defender, Hartman experienced a multitude of challenges, including inadequate funding, high caseloads, lack of formal training programs, too few investigators, no social workers and inherent conflicts that arose in the days that defenders were allowed to have private practices. These frustrations led him to create legislation, programs, commissions and agencies that all aimed to ensure that indigent clients can and do receive first-rate, professional representation. His papers not only document Mr. Hartman’s broad professional responsibilities, and interests in the field of indigent criminal defense, but also reflect the development of the public defender system in the United States from the 1960s until today.

Biographical / Historical

Marshall J. Hartman

Education

Bachelor of Arts Chicago, 1954. Juris Doctor, University Chicago, 1957. Bachelor in Hebrew Letters, College Jewish Studies, Chicago, 1954.

Career

Probation officer Cook County Juvenile Court, 1958—1960, assistant to presiding judge, 1960—1963. Youth director South Side Hebrew Congregation, Chicago, 1958—1961. Assistant public defender, Cook county, 1963—1970.

National director, defender services National Legal Aid and Defender Association, 1970—1976. Executive director Criminal Defense Consortium Cook County, Chicago, 1976—1978. Visiting associate professor University Illinois, since 1978.

Chief public defender 19th Judicial Circuit Lake County, Illinois. Treasurer, general counsel National Defender Institute, Chicago, 1978—1979. With Lake County Public Defender, Waukegan, Illinois, since 1989.

1st lieutenant United States Army Reserve, 1961-1962.

Career

Probation officer Cook County Juvenile Court, 1958—1960, assistant to presiding judge, 1960—1963. Youth director South Side Hebrew Congregation, Chicago, 1958—1961. Assistant public defender, Cook county, 1963—1970.

National director, defender services National Legal Aid and Defender Association, 1970—1976. Executive director Criminal Defense Consortium Cook County, Chicago, 1976—1978. Visiting associate professor University Illinois, since 1978.

Chief public defender 19th Judicial Circuit Lake County, Illinois. Treasurer, general counsel National Defender Institute, Chicago, 1978—1979. With Lake County Public Defender, Waukegan, Illinois, since 1989.

1st lieutenant United States Army Reserve, 1961-1962.

Awards:

Recipient Reginald Heber Smith award, National Legal Aid and Defender Association, 1978, Silver Circle award, University Illinois, 1982, 1985.

Extent

25 linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Processing Information

A processing plan exists (see folder on H drive)

Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the National Equal Justice Library Repository

Contact:
Georgetown University Law Library
111 G. Street NW
Washington D.C. 20001
202-662-4043