CAP-LA’s mission is to ensure that court-appointed attorneys provide the effective representation that the federal constitution and the laws of the state of California guarantee for indigent appellants. In order to fulfill our mission, we are committed to ensuring that the group of lawyers providing this representation is diverse, equitable, and inclusive; we aspire to create both a workplace and a panel of attorneys taking appointments that reflects these values.
The California Supreme Court recently said that, “[a]s members of the legal profession sworn to uphold our fundamental constitutional values, we will not and must not rest until the promise of equal justice under the law is, for all people, a living truth.” CAP-LA seeks to honor these words in our work and in our workplace; we seek to foster these goals in the panel we serve.
Our Story
CAP-LA was established in 1986 to be the contract administrator for the Second District Court of Appeal to assist the court in providing court-appointed counsel to indigent litigants in criminal, juvenile delinquency, and juvenile dependency cases, as well as in some mental health commitment proceedings as required by the federal constitution and state law. California Rules of Court, rule 8.300, directs the Courts of Appeal to adopt procedures for appointing counsel in these cases and permits the courts to contract with an administrator to perform the duties outlined in rule 8.300.
The Second District contracts with CAP-LA to perform these duties which include: maintaining a list of qualified attorneys who are willing to take appointments in indigent appeals and evaluating the performance of those attorneys; evaluating the complexity of cases; and, based upon the evaluations of both the attorney and the case, making recommendations to the Court for appointment of counsel to each specific case. Under its contract, CAP-LA additionally provides training and support for the attorneys who are appointed on Second District appeals, accepts court appointments to directly represent some indigent litigants on appeal, and assists individuals in filing notices of appeal in criminal, delinquency, and dependency cases on request.
To ensure that court-appointed attorneys provide the effective representation that the federal constitution and the laws of the State of California guarantee to indigent appellants, CAP-LA provides close supervision and assistance on selected cases and assistance and resources upon request in any case. CAP/LA also develops training materials and presents training programs to panel members on criminal, delinquency, and dependency law and appellate practice.