Application Period Now Open for New Members of the Criminal Justice Act (“CJA”)
Panel for the Western District of North Carolina
The CJA Panel Selection Committee for the Western District of North Carolina is
now accepting applications for membership on the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel. This
panel consists of qualified attorneys available for appointment to represent indigent defendants in
federal criminal cases. Existing panel members whose terms expire in 2025 and any training panel
member who has not re-applied within the last three years must also re-apply at this time and will
be notified separately. Applications are available at http://ncw.fd.org.
The CJA Panel is composed of qualified, court-approved attorneys who are eligible for
appointment to represent defendants in federal criminal cases who cannot afford to retain counsel.
Applicants must have sufficient experience to serve as counsel of record in federal criminal
proceedings, maintain a physical office within the Western District of North Carolina, and meet
all other eligibility requirements outlined in the revised CJA Plan for the Western District.
Attorneys who meet all eligibility requirements but lack the necessary experience for full
CJA Panel membership may apply to the CJA Training Panel. Members of the Training Panel
must attend a mandatory full-day orientation seminar focused on the fundamentals of federal
criminal defense. Each Training Panel attorney will also be paired with a mentoring attorney to
help develop the skills needed for future CJA Panel eligibility.
Please note there are now three updated application forms:
1) CJA General Application for those applying for the general or training panel for the first
time,
2) CJA Transitional Application for current training panel members applying to the general
panel, and
3) CJA Re-Application for existing panel members whose terms are expiring.
Completed applications, along with all required attachments and recommendations,
should be sent electronically to NCW_CJAPanelApplication@fd.org, and must be received by
July 31, 2025.