CJA Plan V: Duties of Appointed Counsel

1. The services to be rendered a defendant by counsel appointed under the Act shall be reasonably commensurate with those rendered if counsel were privately employed, having regard for the circumstances of each case and as the interests of justice may require.

2. If, at any stage of the proceedings on appeal, appointed counsel obtains information that a client is financially able to make payment, in whole or in part, for legal or other services in connection with his or her representation, and the source of the attorney's information is not protected as a privileged communication, counsel shall advise the Court.

3. After an adverse decision on appeal by this Court, appointed counsel shall advise the defendant in writing of his right to seek review of such decision by the Supreme Court of the United States. If, after consultation (by correspondence, or otherwise), the represented person requests it and there are reasonable grounds for counsel properly to do so, the appointed attorney must prepare and file a petition for writ of certiorari and other necessary and appropriate documents and must continue to represent the defendant until relieved by the Supreme Court. Counsel who conclude that reasonable grounds for filing a petition for writ of certiorari do not exist must promptly inform the defendant, who may by motion request this Court to direct counsel to seek certiorari.

4. Attorneys appointed pursuant to any provisions of the Act shall conform to the highest standards of professional conduct, including but not limited to the provisions of the American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct.

5. Appointed appellate attorneys have a duty to continue to represent their clients after remand to the district court. An attorney appointed for the appeal who is unable to continue at the trial level should move in the district court for withdrawal and appointment of trial counsel.

6. Attorneys appointed in a federal death penalty case, unless replaced by similarly qualified counsel upon the attorney's own motion or upon motion of the defendant, shall represent the defendant throughout every stage of the available judicial proceedings, including all available post-conviction process, together with applications for stays of execution and other appropriate motions and procedures, and shall also represent the defendant in proceedings for executive or other clemency as may be available to the defendant.