1. The compensation of the public defender must be fixed by the board of county commissioners. The public defender of any two or more counties must be compensated and be permitted private civil practice of the law as determined by the boards of county commissioners of those counties, subject to the provisions of subsection 4 of this section and NRS 7.065.

2. The public defender may appoint as many deputies or assistant attorneys, clerks, investigators, stenographers and other employees as the public defender considers necessary to enable him or her to carry out his or her responsibilities, with the approval of the board of county commissioners. An assistant attorney must be a qualified attorney licensed to practice in this State and may be placed on a part-time or full-time basis. The appointment of a deputy, assistant attorney or other employee pursuant to this subsection must not be construed to confer upon that deputy, assistant attorney or other employee policymaking authority for the office of the public defender or the county or counties by which the deputy, assistant attorney or other employee is employed.

3. The compensation of persons appointed under subsection 2 must be fixed by the board of county commissioners of the county or counties so served.

4. The public defender and his or her deputies and assistant attorneys in a county whose population is less than 100,000 may engage in the private practice of law. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, in any other county, the public defender and his or her deputies and assistant attorneys shall not engage in the private practice of law except as otherwise provided in NRS 7.065. An attorney appointed to defend a person for a limited duration with limited jurisdiction may engage in private practice which does not present a conflict with his or her appointment.

5. The board of county commissioners shall provide office space, furniture, equipment and supplies for the use of the public defender suitable for the conduct of the business of his or her office. However, the board of county commissioners may provide for an allowance in place of facilities. Each of those items is a charge against the county in which public defender services are rendered. If the public defender serves more than one county, expenses that are properly allocable to the business of more than one of those counties must be prorated among the counties concerned.

6. In a county whose population is 700,000 or more, deputies are governed by the merit personnel system of the county.

(Added to NRS by 1965, 597; A 1973, 678; 1979, 525; 1989, 203; 1993, 2260; 1999, 161; 2005, 684; 2011, 1129)