A lawyer shall provide competent representation to a client. The right to counsel is more than just the right to have an attorney physically present at criminal proceedings.The Sixth Amendment states that a person facing criminal charges is entitled to the assistance of an attorney. Assistance of counsel means having a lawyer represent you, especially in a criminal case. The right to effective assistance of counsel. " This right to effective assistance has two aspects. IDC assigns counsel in all cases in which the court has made a determination of indigence and ordered that counsel be appointed. The right to the effective assistance of counsel is important for several reasons. Supreme Court Rules of Professional Conduct, the Arizona Supreme Court rulings on the standards for effective assistance of counsel as set forth in State v. This site provides information to individuals who are representing themselves in civil matters in the District of Arizona without the assistance of an attorney.