BOSTON — A bearded Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, accused of planting bombs at the 2013 Boston Marathon, made a brief appearance in court Thursday, quietly telling the judge that he was satisfied with his lawyers.

Mr. Tsarnaev, 21, looked small and thin in a black sweater and gray slacks that were cinched at the waist with a black belt. He slouched somewhat in his chair and frequently felt his chinstrap-shaped beard. His hair is even longer and more unruly than it was in April 2013, when he was captured inside a boat parked in a suburban driveway after a manhunt that shut down the Boston region.

Thursday was Mr. Tsarnaev’s first court appearance since July 2013, when he pleaded not guilty to 30 charges, including 17 that carry the death penalty. It was the last hearing before his trial, which is set to begin next month. The hearing was called to give him a chance to raise any objections to his legal counsel, so it could not become an issue on appeal.