FIRST DISTRICT APPELLATE PROJECT
Want to build an appellate practice? Join us on October 17 for a one-hour online panel discussion about how to develop a court-appointed appellate practice in which you can help shape the law, advocate for indigent clients, and enjoy greater work-life balance.
Join us on October 10 to meet with colleagues in person, hear from some great speakers, and connect with the appellate indigent representation community. Additional details provided in the seminar brochure. Refreshments and lunch provided.
This year’s seminar will have criminal and dependency break out sessions and joint sessions, including a conversation with Justice Monique Langhorne Wilson and Justice Charles A. Smiley. Visit our events page for details and to register.
You don’t have to be a partner in Big Law to be an appellate rockstar. With an appellate indigent-representation practice, you can set your own hours, fight for justice, and have the prestige of an appellate practice. Join FDAP’s panel of contracted attorneys accepting appointments to represent indigent parties in the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court.
Applicants should have exceptional writing and analytic skills, as well as a commitment to indigent appellate representation. While expertise in a relevant practice area (e.g. criminal law or dependency law) is an asset, it is neither sufficient, nor a prerequisite. For more information, visit our panel application information page or contact FDAP directly.
FDAP December 2025 Panel Bulletin
Read on for important information about FDAP’s 2026 annual seminar, upcoming trainings, AI resources, oral argument procedures, and panel victories. ...
FDAP November 2025 Panel Bulletin
Read on for important information about changes to experts, investigators, and translator expenses, upcoming trainings, employment opportunities, and panel victories. ...
Interested in becoming an appellate attorney? Visit our Pathways to an Appellate Practice section for details on
- becoming a panel attorney;
- FDAP’s Associate Staff Attorney Program; and
- law student opportunities.
A168306
The Court of Appeal vacated appellant’s sentence and remanded for resentencing. Following a jury trial, the trial court conducted a bench trial on the alleged aggravating factors, which it found true. The Court of Appeal (at the Supreme Court’s direction in light of Wiley) vacated its original affirmance, as a jury could have disagreed as to whether appellant’s criminal history was increasingly serious.