Heidi R. Freese is an accomplished attorney with extensive experience in federal litigation, professional responsibility, and workplace conduct matters. She previously dedicated much of her career to the defense of indigent federal criminal defendants and now brings that deep litigation and leadership experience to a broader practice that includes professional licensure defense, significant workplace investigations, and federal civil litigation.

Heidi was appointed as the Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Pennsylvania by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in September 2017 and was reappointed in 2021. During her tenure, the office’s appellate unit litigated two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court in the 2023–2024 term, reflecting her involvement in high-stakes, complex litigation. As Federal Public Defender, Heidi managed an active caseload while overseeing all aspects of the office’s operations, including attorney supervision, staff management, and the selection and oversight of Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel attorneys.

In addition to her leadership responsibilities, Heidi developed substantial experience addressing attorney conduct, ethics, and compliance issues. She has conducted and overseen sensitive workplace investigations involving allegations of misconduct, discrimination, and violations of professional standards, and she regularly advises on professional responsibility and licensure-related matters. Her practice also includes federal civil litigation, where she applies her extensive courtroom experience to complex factual and legal disputes.

Prior to her appointment as Federal Public Defender, Heidi served for ten years as an Assistant Federal Public Defender. In that role, she acted as lead counsel in hundreds of federal criminal cases, litigated complex pretrial and competency motions, conducted numerous jury and non-jury trials, and represented defendants and witnesses in grand jury investigations. She also has significant experience in complex sentencing proceedings and non-capital habeas corpus litigation, including a case that resulted in the overturning of a York County murder conviction in federal court.

Earlier in her career, Heidi served as a Juvenile Delinquency Master for the York County Court of Common Pleas, presiding over emergency detention and delinquency hearings, conducting restitution hearings, and drafting findings of fact and recommendations to the court. She also practiced criminal defense in the private sector, representing hundreds of court-appointed clients, serving as a CJA panel attorney, and earning death penalty certification.

Heidi is also active in legal education and professional development. She serves as Adjunct Faculty at Penn State Dickinson Law, where she teaches Federal Criminal Practice and serves as the Criminal Justice Externship Faculty Advisor. She frequently lectures on ethics, leadership, workplace conduct, and litigation topics and has been involved in diversity and inclusion initiatives at the local, regional, and national levels.