ARS featured on “Public Defenseless” podcast

Adult Representation Services attorneys joined host Hunter Parnell on the podcast “Public Defenseless” this month to explain the benefits of civil public defense.

Parnell begins the episode by explaining that clients of public defenders often have legal needs beyond the criminal system. “[A]ccess to counsel in criminal defense is not enough to keep our communities safe, keep families whole, and to ensure that people can escape from the legal system as a whole,” he said. “And today we are talking about how ARS is trying to fill some of those gaps.”

The show features ARS Director Jeanette Boerner and Principal Attorneys Jessica Ryan and Terrance Hendricks. They explain the department’s work and how the “broad scope of holistic representation” positively impacts and stabilizes families and, ultimately, the community.

“Advocacy matters,” Boerner said. “It matters not just for the wins—that’s not what we count—it matters for how we support our families, how we respect and acknowledge them.”

Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts (10/16/25 episode).

Published 10/22/25