There are several opportunities currently available for private attorneys to participate in representing indigent criminal defendants in the Dallas Division.
The CJA Advisory Committee encourages attorneys who are admitted to practice in the Northern District of Texas and have at least four years of experience, including some criminal law experience, to apply to become part of the CJA Panel. Attorneys who are fluent in Spanish are always needed.
An attorney who does not have sufficient experience to be a member of the CJA Panel but is interested in working with a panel member on one of their appointed cases may be eligible to be a member of the CJA “Associates Panel.” An associate must be licensed to practice in the Northern District of Texas. An associate may be assigned by the court to assist a CJA Panel member in a “second chair” capacity. The hourly rate for an associate is $50, and the associate may be paid up to a maximum of $500 per case. Prior service on the Associates Panel is not a requirement for membership on the CJA Panel, and service on the Associates Panel does not guarantee later admission to the CJA Panel.
To download the CJA Voluntary Panel Application for the Dallas Division, go to www.ndtx.uscourts.gov. If you have any questions about either of these opportunities, please call Tammy Shipley at (214) 753-2152 or email tammy_shipley@txnd.uscourts.gov.