Minimum Qualifications: To be eligible for appointment to the position of Circuit Public Defender, O.C.G.A. § 17-12-21 requires that a candidate must:

1. Have attained the age of 25 years;

2. Have been duly admitted and licensed to practice law in the highest court of general trial jurisdiction in any of the 50 states or the District of Columbia for at least 3 years;

3. Be a member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia;

4. If previously disbarred from the practice of law, have been reinstated as provided by law.

Additional Qualifications: In appointing Circuit Public Defenders, the Circuit Public Defender Selection Panels should consider whether candidates possess any or all of the following qualifications in addition to the minimum qualifications specified by O.C.G.A. § 17-12-21:

1. Has the person demonstrated a strong interest in the defense of indigent people accused of crimes?

2. Does the person have sufficient experience in the defense of criminal cases (or equivalent trial experience) to permit him/her to evaluate the qualifications of the Assistant Public Defenders to be employed by his/her office and to evaluate their performance while representing clients as an Assistant Public Defender?

3. Does the person have sufficient trial experience in the defense of criminal cases (or equivalent trial experience) to permit him/her to train or assist in the training of less experienced Assistant Public Defenders to enable them to gain the trial experience needed to handle more serious and complex trials? In that regard, the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council suggests that the person should have been lead counsel in the defense of a person accused of a crime in at least 10 felony cases which were tried to completion before a jury, two of which involved crimes for which the maximum punishment was at least life in prison. However, the local committees should be free to consider all trial experience and courtroom abilities in making their selection.

4. Does the person have the leadership skills and ability to oversee the management of a Circuit Public Defender office and insure that Standards and Guidelines implemented by the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council are consistently met or exceeded throughout the circuit?

5. Does the person have the ability to establish and maintain sound fiscal policy and practice, the ability to supervise attorneys and other staff, and the ability to communicate well with other participants in the criminal justice system, as well as with local government representatives?