Criminal Justice Act Information
The Criminal Justice Act (CJA) was enacted in 1964. The CJA establishes a system for the judicial appointment and compensation for attorneys representing people who are financially unable to retain counsel in federal criminal proceedings, and requires every district to establish a plan for furnishing representation for people who are financially unable to obtain representation. The CJA Plan for the District of Utah and CJA Handbook are below. The Plan will be updated at least every five years, while the Handbook may be updated more frequently.
The CJA Team at the Utah Federal Public Defender's Office manages Utah's CJA panel of attorneys. This team includes the CJA Resource Attorney and the CJA Administrator. They can both be contacted through the office phone at 801-524-4010 or via email at utx_cja_panelteam@fd.org.
CJA Resources
Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Guidelines and The Guide to Judiciary Policy
CJA Plan District of Utah 2023
Budgeting Help (for cases with more than 300 hours of attorney work).
- Electronic Budgeting Application for cases needing 10th Circuit Budgets
- CJA Attorney Quick Reference Guide to the EBA Process
- CJA 10th Circuit Budgeting Manual
- Case Budgeting and Requests for Services
eVoucher Info
eVoucher is the electronic CJA voucher system, which allows for the creation, submission and tracking of all CJA vouchers, authorizations, and payments.
eVoucher Logon for Utah's CJA Panel Attorneys and Service Providers. Register with login.gov before accessing eVoucher for the first time.
eVoucher Frequently Asked Questions
- Create a Login.gov Account
- Adding an Authentication Method
- Identity Verification
- Linking Your eVoucher Account to Login.gov
- Accessing eVoucher
- Creating a Vendor Management Account with an EIN
- Creating a Vendor Management Account with an SSN
- Role of the Authorized Agent in Vendor Management System
Video - ELM-Logging into Login.gov
Video - Importing time entries
Video - Linking to an existing Payment Account in Vendor Manager System
Video - Authorized Agent in Vendor Manager System
Video - Creating an EIN Payment Account in Vendor Manager System
Video - Creating an SSN Payment Account in Vendor Manager System
- eVoucher Training Videos
- Training Videos for Attorneys Created by the Court
- Training Videos for Experts
- Training Videos for Mentees
National Resources for CJA Attorneys
Traveling for work on a CJA case? GSA Travel
The eVoucher Attorney User Manual
The eVoucher Service Provider Manual
Applications to the Utah CJA Panels & Second Chair Program
The United States District Court and the Federal Public Defender for the District of Utah are currently accepting applications for the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel of Attorneys as needed. To check whether applications are open and to get information on how to apply, please contact utx_cja_panelteam@fd.org
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicants must be members in good standing of both the Utah State Bar and the bar of the United States District Court.
- Applicants should have a strong reputation for effective representation in criminal defense and a demonstrated commitment to providing legal services to individuals who cannot afford counsel.
- Members of the CJA Panel are required to complete six hours of training in federal criminal practice each year.
Second Chair Program
If an attorney does not have the necessary federal experience, they can apply to the Second Chair Program. This two-year program is designed to give experienced attorneys more exposure to federal criminal defense practice. Interested applicants should apply by reaching out to utx_cja_panelteam@fd.org and indicating their interest in the Second Chair Program.
Further information about the Second Chair Program can be found in the CJA Handbook. For access to the handbook, please reach out to utx_cja_panelteam@fd.org.