Santa Fe, New Mexico recently hired Elena Cardona ’85 as its new full-time public defender. The Santa Fe City Council voted in August to create the full-time position for its Municipal Court, a marked departure from the city’s longstanding practice of contracting for public defender services. Previously, Cardona handled felony cases for the New Mexico Public Defender Department, which takes on about 70,000 cases each year. Cardona’s work included representing clients through appeal and post-conviction proceedings.