Justice does matter.

We are a law firm providing criminal and juvenile appeals for indigent clients
in the San Jose area.
We are not the court of appeal.

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    Sixth District Appellate Program

The SDAP Way

A Passion for Justice

SDAP’s attitude toward the representation of indigents is that expressed in Von Moltke v. Gillies (1948) 332 U.S. 708:

“Undivided allegiance and faithful, devoted service to a client are prized traditions of the American lawyer. It is this kind of service for which the Sixth Amendment makes provision. And nowhere is this service deemed more honorable than in case of appointment to represent an accused too poor to hire a lawyer, even though the accused may be a member of an unpopular or hated group, or may be charged with an offense which is peculiarly abhorrent.” (Id., at pp. 725-726, fn. omitted.)

  • 36 Years Of Service

    Formed in 1988, SDAP's experienced panel....(read more

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News From The Director

Review Petitions Should Always be Filed as Criminal Cases

Recently, we have seen some dependency panel attorneys face difficulty in utilizing Truefiling to file review petitions in the California Supreme Court. When initiating a new case by filing an original petition – including a writ petition or petition for review – select “File” and ...

Initial Steps When Handling an Appeal: Spotting Issues with the Notice of Appeal and the Certificate of Probable Cause

The initial step in handling any appeal is to check the notice of appeal and, in guilty plea cases, the certificate of probable cause. In this presentation, CCAP Staff Attorneys Siena Kautz and Brad Bristow will discuss what judgments and orders are appealable, the requirements ...

FDAP Seminar April 14

FDAP is excited to welcome the panel back to an in-person training event at a new location, Preservation Park (Nile Hall) in Oakland. It will be on April 14, 2023. Please note the training will not be recorded or live-streamed. The seminar will feature a moderated discussion ...

Meet New Justices on the Court of Appeal

The First Annual CLA Committee on Appellate Courts "Meet New Justices" Program will be Wednesday, March 23, 2023 at 12:15 p.m. This is a unique opportunity to hear from some of the newest and highly respected justices on the Court of Appeal across California. This ...
Committed To Helping Our Panel Succeed

SDAP Resources

  • SDAP Manual

    SDAP Panel Manual, Compensation Manual, and Updates.

  • Research

    A comprehensive collection of key resources collected for SDAP panelists.

  • Practice Tools

    Filing Requirements, Directory, Appellate Practice, Motions, Briefs and Petitions.

  • News

    Stay current with news related to issues impacting SDAP.

  • Compensation Manual

    Statewide compensation policies and procedures

  • Samples

    Letters, Motions and Briefs in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

  • Claims

    General Information, Rates and Guidelines, Forms, E-Claim Login.

  • CCAP MCLE Website

    Central California Appellate Program MCLE Training and Events.

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