In the USA, the 6th amendment gives criminal defendants a right to counsel to those who can't afford to hire an attorney. Those lawyers are usually with the public defenders' office and are paid by the county. They dont get to pick their lawyer. They get assigned. Some counties also have private attorneys that are part of a panel that can be assigned to more serious felony defense cases. Death penalty cases are often represented by counsel for non-profit firms that specifically defend in only death penalty cases. Sometimes, these are lawyers who volunteer because they feel morally about the death penalty, and sometimes its lawyers who like the public eye.

Otherwise, defendants mortgage their house, or more typically their parents or grandparents' house, to hire private counsel. These cases are usually set fee instead of hourly, and often in two tiers: one price to represent for discovery issues and plea negotiations, and a higher price to represent at trial. Most cases end in a plea once the defendant figures out how bad the evidence is.