GUIDELINE 10.4 – THE DEFENSE TEAM
A. When it is responsible for designating counsel to defend a capital case, the Responsible Agency should designate a lead counsel and one or more associate counsel. The Responsible Agency should ordinarily solicit the views of lead counsel before designating associate counsel.
B. Lead counsel bears overall responsibility for the performance of the defense team, and should allocate, direct, and supervise its work in accordance with these Guidelines and professional standards.
1. Subject to the foregoing, lead counsel may delegate to other members of the defense team duties imposed by these Guidelines, unless:
a. The Guideline specifically imposes the duty on “lead counsel,” or
b. The Guideline specifically imposes the duty on “all counsel” or “all members of the defense team.”
C. As soon as possible after designation, lead counsel should assemble a defense team by:
1. Consulting with the Responsible Agency regarding the number and identity of the associate counsel;
2. Subject to standards of the Responsible Agency that are in accord with these Guidelines and in consultation with associate counsel to the extent practicable, selecting and making any appropriate contractual agreements with non-attorney team members in such a way that the team includes:
a. at least one mitigation specialist and one fact investigator;
b. at least one member qualified by training and experience to screen individuals for the presence of mental or psychological disorders or impairments;
c. any other members needed to provide high quality legal representation.
D. Counsel at all stages should demand on behalf of the client all resources necessary to provide high quality legal representation. If such resources are denied, counsel should make an adequate record to preserve the issue for further review.