The mission of the First District Appellate Project is to provide vigorous representation for those who cannot afford counsel in criminal, juvenile, and civil commitment appeals; to train and support appellate attorneys; and to advance the law in pursuit of a fair and compassionate justice system.
FDAP manages the appellate Court Appointed Counsel program for California’s First Appellate District. FDAP recruits and trains panel attorneys, matching panel attorneys to cases ensuring the client is represented by an attorney with the skills and expertise appropriate for the case, providing training and resource materials to the panel attorneys, and providing panel attorneys with direct assistance in their cases. FDAP staff attorneys also provide direct representation to clients in some cases.
Prior board experience is not necessary. FDAP is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our workplace, our legal work, California’s justice system, and the legal profession. As stated in the FDAP DEI statement, we believe in an environment where our clients, staff, volunteers, and board members are valued and recognized, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, age, sexual orientation or identity, socio-economic status, education, disability, or religious, spiritual, and secular belief systems. And we seek that diversity in our board candidates.
In addition, we seek a board composed of members with a variety of skills, professional experiences, personal experiences, and expertise. No one skill is required, but the following experiences are a plus:
Joining the FDAP board is a great way to support our mission of ensuring high quality representation to indigent individuals with appeals in criminal, juvenile, and civil commitment cases. Joining our board is also a terrific way to gain experience in leadership and non-profit management.
