Although many have expressed concern about the quality of defense services provided to indigent defendants, very little has been said regarding the question of what organizational conditions might actually facilitate their proper representation. This article reports some exploratory findings regarding the latter. By comparing others' research findings with observations generated through an ethnographic field study, this article describes how the organizational framework of a private, nonprofit corporation of court- appointed defense attorneys, facilitated an ethical defense posture. Between September 1984 and September 1988, field research was conducted on a private, nonprofit corporation of court-appointed defense attorneys, referred throughout the article as "Defense Alliance." Defense Alliance, located in a well-populated urban area whose basic industries were tourism and military-industrial activities, went out of business in September 1988. It concludes that this corporation's organizational design appears to be a more viable model for providing proper defense representation to members of the underclass than other types of indigent defense systems. The author cautions, however, that further investigation and dialogue are needed regarding practical solutions to the problem of providing justice for the poor. Numerous other studies are discussed briefly throughout this article. References