493—11.4 (13B) Contract approval or denial.
	 11.4(1) The state public defender or a person designated by the state public defender may confer with judges, attorneys and others with knowledge of a potential contracting attorney’s competence, effectiveness, trustworthiness, and ability to provide services to eligible individuals, and may conduct such additional investigation as deemed warranted in the sole discretion of the state public defender. The information received may be taken into consideration in determining whether it would be in the best interests of the state to enter into an initial or renewal contract with the potential contracting attorney.
	 11.4(2) The state public defender or a person designated by the state public defender may hold discussions with, or otherwise obtain information from, a potential contracting attorney to determine the attorney’s qualifications and ability to perform the conditions of an initial or renewal contract.
	 11.4(3) The state public defender or a person designated by the state public defender may hold discussions with, or otherwise obtain information from, a potential contracting attorney to establish under an initial or renewal contract the types of cases the contracting attorney will handle and the geographic area in which the cases will be handled.
	 11.4(4) The state public defender may decline to award an initial or renewal contract to a proposed contracting attorney if the state public defender determines that the contract would not be in the best interests of the state, as described in rule 11.8(13B). The state public defender may limit the contract to specific types of cases, a specified geographic area, or both. The state public defender shall give written notice of this action to the attorney. The attorney may seek reconsideration of this decision in the manner prescribed in rule 11.9(13B).
	 11.4(5) Nothing contained in this rule shall obligate the state public defender to enter into an initial or renewal contract if the state public defender determines that it is not in the best interests of the state to enter into such contract.