A management information system still considered to be the state of the art for public defender officers is the AMICUS System (A Manual Information System for Public Defender Offices). The AMICUS System generates both internal management reports and detailed statistics for funding sources. A study of 22 public defender offices by Abt Associates of Boston identified factors that determined which offices were effective in achieving increased funding and staff satisfaction. Each office had developed a sound management information system, and each had developed a statistical reporting procedure whereby funding sources believed they were receiving reliable data. Each program was well administered from the top; each had developed caseload standards directly tied to budget requests; and each was able to mobilize strong community support for its effort. This article outlines a step-by-step procedure for analyzing or presenting public-defender data, as presented in 'Caseweighting Systems: A Handbook for Budget Presentation.'