Federal Defenders of San Diego is a private, nonprofit corporation based in San Diego that represents indigent persons accused of federal criminal offenses. A 13- member board of directors oversees its daily operations. The organization is independent from the local federal judiciary and funded by a sustaining grant awarded by Congress under the Criminal Justice Act. The majority of its clients are facing a wide variety of federal charges, including bank robbery, fraud, counterfeiting, pornography, assault and firearms offenses. Federal Defenders staff consists of more than 30 trial attorneys and 50 support personnel, many of whom are bilingual and bicultural. The organization has several offices, including locations in San Diego and El Centro, Calif.