The federal defenders are more consistent, and that's due primarily to jurisdiction and pay scale. The defenders for the state are often broken down and funded by counties. Some counties do not have full time defenders, but may contract with private attorneys for representation.

There are generally fewer criminal trials in federal court because of the nature of the crimes. There are fewer questions of fact involved. As a result you may find more skilled litigators in some of the state offices. There are many public defenders in some parts of the country, who are better trial lawyers than their private counterparts.