The Public Defender's Office is lead by Nancy Lemcke, Esq.

Public Defender Lemcke was appointed the Public Defender effective May 13, 2024.  Nancy is a 25-year veteran of the Clark County Public Defender’s office and recently served as an attorney with the Children’s Attorneys Project at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada.  Nancy has tried numerous felony cases to verdict, including both capital and non-capital homicide cases, and has also litigated and argued multiple cases before the Nevada Supreme Court.

The Public Defender's Office currently has a staff of over 200, which includes attorneys, investigators, social workers, and staff, which makes the Public Defender's Office one of the largest law firms in the state of Nevada.  We represent citizens of Clark County accused of crimes who cannot afford representation.
We are dedicated to aggressive, quality representation and provide a full range of criminal litigation services. 

The office is organized into teams. An attorney is appointed immediately after the initial arraignment and represents the client to the conclusion of the case. We practice in front of all of the Justice Courts in Clark County , before the 8th Judicial District Court and before the Nevada Supreme Court.

The office has specialized teams dedicated to juvenile court, homicide cases, sexual assault cases and appeals. In addition, the office has a dedicated training officer who has developed an extensive training program for new attorneys and provides continued legal education for experienced staff. The office also has a nationally recognized litigation support department.