While most lawyers who take on assigned counsel cases do so only once or twice a year to earn extra cash or courtroom experience, one law firm has turned the state-contracted work into a niche practice area.

Ruane Attorneys, which has offices in Shelton, Wethersfield and Hamden, is best known for handling DUI cases. But James O. “Jay” Ruane said habeas cases assigned under the state program now make up about 35 percent of his associates’ workload.