Criminal Justice Act Payments Stopped by Congress

On July 3, the government ran out of money to pay CJA Panel members for their work. Earlier this year, Congress approved an FY25 spending bill that froze funding for the judicial branch at 2024 levels, leaving hundreds of lawyers, investigators, social workers, paralegals, experts, and interpreters appointed by the court to federal criminal cases unpaid for their work.

To understand the impact of the suspension of payments, NACDL reached out to Panel members across the country and asked them to share their experiences. We received responses from 132 attorneys, paralegals, investigators, and other professionals representing every federal circuit and nearly every state. They expressed fear and anxiety over trying to make ends meet in their offices and their homes. Overwhelmingly, CJA Panel work is handled by solo practitioners or small firms with only a few employees. Of the 125 respondents who shared information about their firms, over 98% are small businesses, employing five or fewer people.

Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.