The City of Atlanta announced that Mayor Kasim Reed has appointed Kenneth Days, III as the new Public Defender for the Municipal Court of Atlanta. Mr. Days has served as Managing Attorney for the Office of the Public Defender since 2008. Prior to joining the City of Atlanta, Days was in private practice with his firm Days & West, P.C.

“I am pleased to appoint Mr. Days to serve as the next Public Defender for the Municipal Court of Atlanta,” said Mayor Reed. “Mr. Days has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to public service and to providing the highest level of legal support to vulnerable families and individuals. Kenneth is actively engaged with our community, volunteering and serving his local NPU. I congratulate Kenneth on his appointment, and am confident he will continue to serve his clients with the highest levels of integrity, efficacy and professionalism.”

Days joined the Office of the Public Defender in 2008 to continue his commitment to serving Atlanta’s most vulnerable residents and ensuring they receive the full protection of the justice system. As Managing Attorney, he oversaw a team of 21 attorneys and 12 support staff who handle nearly 30,000 cases each year. In Mr. Days’ tenure with the Office of the Public Defender, he has served as lead counsel in each of the Municipal Court’s specialty courtrooms, specifically the Housing, DUI and Community Courts. He has successfully secured employment, education, housing and substance abuse treatment for thousands of clients. The Public Defender’s office was established in 1972, and provides services mandated by both Federal and State constitutional law.

“I am honored to serve Mayor Reed and the people of Atlanta as Public Defender,” said Days. “My work with the Office of the Public Defender has been the most meaningful of my life and career. I take my responsibility to the public and to our clients seriously, and believe the Office of the Public Defender can and must play a vital role in protecting low-income individuals, and helping them establish healthy, meaningful and stable lives.”

Days is a frequent volunteer with The City of Refuge, and previously established a partnership between the Office of the Public Defender and the Department of Parks and Recreation to offer a free lecture series for young people participating in summer programming at the Centers of Hope. Days has also mentored students at Thomasville Heights Elementary School, and organized a monthly community legal clinic through the Office of the Public Defender at the Adamsville Recreation Center. Days is also an active member of NPU-J and previously served as its Vice-Chair.

Kenneth Days attended Atlanta Public Schools and became a third-generation graduate of Morehouse College. He graduated from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1995 and returned to practice law in Georgia in 1996.

Days lives in Atlanta with his wife and three children.