Nothing could have prepared Todd Michaels for his first day on the job.

Striding into the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office, he was armed only with a briefcase and a law school degree, the ink on it barely dry.

In less time than it took to look around, he was nearly overwhelmed. Too much. Too soon.

''When I started here at 25, I was nervous, I was confused, I was excited,'' said Michaels, now 28. ``It was like, I put on my suit and tie and walked into the office and, all of a sudden, it hit me. Oh my God -- I'm a lawyer! Of course the next thing that occurred to me was, now what? Where do I go from here?''

The confusion felt by Michaels is shared by many young lawyersat the public defender's office, which is why officials there started a training program that, over the years, has gained regard.

The program pairs new lawyers with more experienced veterans.

''At my first meeting, I was told that my partner would be Margot Moss,'' said Michaels. ``She called me and just said `Hi, Todd, my name is Margot and we're going to trial tomorrow. I was four days from taking the Bar [exam]. She really took me under her wing.''

For Moss, who has been at the public defender's office nine years, the payoff is being able to pass along knowledge new lawyers need.

''Knowing exactly how far he's come in the past three years, and seeing his progression as a lawyer is so rewarding,'' she said.

The emphasis on training aims to ensure that all lawyers there are well-prepared to handle courtroom pressures.

''The training program started about 20 years ago, as an informal attempt to improve the skills of young lawyers,'' said Training Director Rory Stein.

''In the mid-to-late 1980s, we decided a more formalized program would accomplish many things,'' he said. ``First of all, it would allow us to provide better services to our clients, which of course is most important. It would give our lawyers more experience in a shorter period of time, therefore getting the most out of taxpayer's money. And this program helps to draw people just out of law school to our office.

``It's not all palm trees and bright sunshine that brings them here -- it's the reputation that we have for being the best at training young attorneys.''

The formal program lasts three years, beginning with lectures and demonstrations on proper trial practice and case preparation. Eventually, new lawyers are given a mentor to work with, and mentors are relieved of their typical caseload to dedicate more time to assisting the trainee.

''Everyone begins with a 35-hour orientation that basically walks you through everything from how to use the computers to how to structure a good closing argument,'' said Stein. ``Later, people who have been recruited out of law school to work here typically begin a four-week internship in felony court.

Only after working with their training attorneys and rotating through work in both juvenile and misdemeanor divisions do new lawyers begin work on their own.

Even then, though, there is never a shortage of advice.

''I think probably our best attribute is how the training program never really ends,'' said Ellis Berger, an administrative assistant. ``It formally takes three years to work as an attorney on your own, but there are always over a hundred people here doing exactly what you're doing. The learning process never ends.''

Although he has recently begun working on his own, three years after that anxiety-ridden first day, Michaels still does not hesitate to call Moss when he needs advice.

''Your colleagues are always here for you,'' he said. ``The office dynamic is incredible, since we're all in pursuit of the same goal, which is to ultimately provide clients with the best representation we can. I've come a long way from my first day at the office, and it's amazing to me that I still get that same rush every morning. I never hit snooze and dread coming to work. It's just an amazing place to be.''

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