Federal public defender

An attorney employed by the federal courts on a full-time basis to provide legal defense to defendants who are unable to afford counsel. The judiciary administers the federal defender program pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act.

Additional Sources

Answers.com

An attorney appointed by a court or employed by the government to represent indigent defendants in criminal actions.

Wikipedia

A public defender is a lawyer employed by the government to represent those who are charged with a crime and cannot afford an attorney. In some states, public defenders also represent people being involuntarily committed to a mental health facility due to an alleged mental illness. Public defenders are usually paid by the state or the local county prosecuting the person. The federal government also uses public defenders in federal prosecutions. Some jurisdictions in the United States have part-time public defenders, which means they are allowed to also work in a private law practice.

Different jurisdictions use different approaches to providing such counsel. By far, the most common is a public defender office, which means that the office is an agency of the government and the employees work for the state or the county. There are also a large number of not-for-profit agencies, often referred to as Defender Service, Defender Office or a Legal Aid Society that is paid to provide legal services. Another method used is by way of a panel of private attorneys who are compensated for their appointed work on an hourly basis or by the case. Appointed attorneys are often used, as well, when there is a conflict of interest. So, for example, if more than one person is arrested, each of them is entitled to a separate attorney.