Do you have a case on appeal, the outcome of which would have a significant effect on criminal law or procedure? Please consider consulting with ABA SCLAID about seeking an amicus brief with the ABA Amicus Committee. We can help determine if the issues in the case implicate ABA policy, which is a threshold requirement for any ABA amicus brief. The amicus committee tends to favor cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, but it will approve federal appeals court and state supreme court briefs from time to time. Be aware that, because the ABA is a member led organization with a government-like structure, the amicus approval process takes longer than one might expect. SCLAID has been unable to assist attorneys with potentially amicus-worthy cases in recent months due to insufficient time. Please reach out to SCLAID 10 weeks or more before the amicus brief’s anticipated filing deadline to ensure there is enough time to review the case, recruit amicus counsel, submit the amicus application to the committee, obtain initial approval from the committee, draft the brief, and have the draft reviewed by the committee. Contact ABA Indigent Defense Counsel Mark Pickett, [email protected], about your case.
Looks for stories this week about the appointed counsel work stoppage in Massachusetts, ongoing turmoil in Louisiana, and a Queens, New York public defender who was falsely accused of smuggling drugs into Rikers Island.
This issue of Public Defense News covers two weeks due to the July 4 holiday.
Of Interest:
Paying Attorneys of the Sixth – new tool from 6AC that lists appointed counsel compensation rates in every U.S. jurisdiction
