&gt;<i>Being a public defender in a free market would be an attractive career: the stability of a public servant, and the lucrative nature of a skilled job requiring high intelligence.</i><p>It&#x27;s merely the &quot;stability of a public servant&quot; without anything lucrative about it.<p>Just a require for high intelligence without the compensation (since the client is poor, and you&#x27;re assigned by the state).<p>Free vs non-free market doesn&#x27;t come into play. If anything a totally &quot;free market&quot; would have the clients either pay themselves or not get representation at all, making their representation even poorer.