Final answer:
Exceptions to the general freedom of lawyers to reject cases include conflict of interest and indigent defendants being denied counsel. Defendants in serious crimes and federal civil cases have various rights, including the right to an impartial jury, to confront witnesses, and to a defense attorney. Public defenders are often underpaid and overworked.
Step-by-step explanation:
Exceptions to the general freedom of lawyers to reject cases include conflict of interest arising from simultaneous representation of codefendants, as ruled in the case of Glasser v. United States. Another exception is when indigent defendants are denied counsel when prosecuted by a state, although this was later overturned by Gideon v. Wainwright.
Defendants in serious crimes and federal civil cases have the right to an impartial jury, to face and confront witnesses, and to a defense attorney. This right gradually extended to all defendants in federal and state courts. However, public defenders are often underpaid and overworked, and convicted clients can win on appeal only if they can show serious errors made by public defenders.