Русско-англо-русский юридический словарь

As used in these Standards, “defense counsel” means any attorney – including privately retained, assigned by the court, acting pro bono or serving indigent defendants in a legal aid or public defender’s office – who acts as an attorney on behalf of a client being investigated or prosecuted for alleged criminal conduct, or a client seeking legal advice regarding a potential, ongoing or past criminal matter or subpoena, including as a witness. (Standards for the Defense Function – The American Bar Association)