The performance expectations are based upon standards of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Intended for use by the chief public defender and others, the manual highlights important defender issues, specifies those activities against which the office's performance should be evaluated, and suggests the data which might be gathered and reviewed for evaluation purposes. Written from the perspective that an appellate office should provide its clients with the same high quality representation that is available to those who seek private counsel, the manual consists of a series of 23 topics on which an appellate defender office can evaluate itself. The format for each topic is similar: an introductory question indicating the topic and its importance and a series of questions upon which the office should assess its performance. The topics covered include those under the major categories of organizing services, working within the community, and office administration. Specifically dealt with are staffing--training, standards, staffing ratios per case weighting; client contact; brief preparation; discretionary review; office structure and procedures; facilities; and more. Standards for appellate defender offices are appended, along with a bibliography of nine references. (Author abstract modified).