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Northern District of Georgia Stephanie Kearns, Executive Director
100 Peachtree Street, Suite 1700, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 404-688-7530, 404-688-0768 (fax) |
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Federal Defender Program, Inc. |
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CJA Panel Information |
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The Northern District of Georgia maintains a CJA (Criminal Justice Act) panel of highly qualified attorneys who accept appointments to criminal cases when the Federal Defender Program is unavailable for any reason to be appointed to represent a criminal defendant. Each district has a designated panel representative who serves as a liaison on panel issues with the district court. The new CJA panel representative for a three year term starting in 2010 is Leigh Finlayson. Leigh’s contact information appears to the right. Our thanks and appreciation to Gary Spencer for his service as CJA panel representative. Gary’s three year term expired on December 31, 2009. The Northern District of Georgia has a wealth of information on their website including forms for vouchers and much more. Follow this link to their website: Northern District of Georgia CJA Information. The Federal Defender Program has a Brown Bag Roundtable to discuss cases and issues every week. CJA Panel attorneys who want to brainstorm specific ideas or legal issues on appointed case are welcome to join us at the Roundtable. Please call one of our attorneys to arrange to attend. Please let us known if you plan to bring a case question and send over a brief summary of the question or issue for discussion. Contact the office at 404-688-7530 and ask to speak with the duty or backup duty attorney to arrange to come by. We would love to help! This is also a great resource for attorneys who are preparing to argue a case before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in an appointed case. We will moot you. Send over the briefs and call to arrange a time.
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Joining the CJA Panel:
If you are interested in becoming a member of the CJA panel for the Northern District of Georgia, please check the Northern District of Georgia website for more information and to obtain an application.
You should be aware that membership on the panel requires federal criminal litigation experience as well as attendance at appropriate CLEs to demonstrate proficiency and interest in federal criminal defense. If you would like to observe federal criminal proceedings, contact the Federal Defender and ask for the duty /backup duty attorney to find out when there are hearings or trials. This can help you to develop the knowledge/skills needed to make a successful application to the CJA panel.
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The Federal Defender Program distributes a monthly newsletter, The Blues, containing information about new Eleventh Circuit and Supreme Court caselaw. Go to the FDP Contact page to sign up to receive it! |
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Announcements:
THE NEW BLOG PAGE IS HERE!!! SUBSCRIBE NOW. START BLOGGING.
Effective this month, the Local Rules for the Northern District of Georgia have been amended and some important changes were made relative to filing deadlines for criminal motions. Click here for the Local Criminal Rules for the Northern District of Georgia.
Please join us in congratulating Michael J. Trost on his appointment as the Eleventh Circuit representative to the Practitioner’s Advisory Group of the United States Sentencing Commission! Michael is sure to be an excellent voice for us at the Sentencing Commission. If you have Sentencing Guidelines information to be passed on to Michael Trost, please click here.
For a summary of the 2009 Guidelines Amendments, click here. |
