Jun. 3, 2024
Crisis looms as California appellate defense counsel faces shortage of attorneys
The number of attorneys applying for work with the panels has dropped two-thirds over 10 years, and the current pay ranges from $110 to $130 per hour.
Five appellate projects were founded in the 1980s to train and pay private counsel to represent indigent criminal defendants on appeal in non-capital cases. While the projects have been regarded as a great success, they are now at a crossroads as many of the attorneys who take on these cases are nearing retirement, and the hourly pay has fallen so low younger attorneys won't take the work, several sources said.
"The number of attorneys is just going down dramatically, and ...
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!
Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)
Already a subscriber?
Sign In