Court-Appointed Lawyers and Staffers Left in the Lurch by $130M Funding Shortfall

Thousands of court-appointed lawyers and staffers, including paralegals, investigators, expert witnesses, and interpreters, have not been paid since June due to a funding shortfall in the Defender Services program. The program, which is federally funded, fell 130 million short of the judiciary's requested amount and ran out of funds on July 3. As a result, many court-appointed lawyers, known as Criminal Justice Act panel attorneys, have been unable to move forward with trials or take on new clients. According to the judiciary, nationally, CJA lawyers handle about 40% of cases where the defendant cannot afford an attorney. As many cases have ground to a halt, defendants' lives have been put on hold, awaiting the resolution of their cases. "The system's about to break," said a court-appointed lawyer, who wished to remain anonymous. "We're talking about people's lives, and we can't just put them on hold indefinitely." The funding shortfall has been attributed to the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, which officially ended in April 2025. The shutdown had a significant impact on the judiciary, causing delays and disruptions in the court system. The Defender Services program, which provides funding for court-appointed lawyers and other support staff, was particularly affected. The Defender Services program is a critical component of the U.S. court system, providing essential support to defendants who cannot afford an attorney. The program has been in place since the 1960s and has been instrumental in ensuring that defendants receive a fair trial. However, the recent funding shortfall has highlighted the program's vulnerability to budget cuts and government shutdowns. In response to the funding shortfall, the judiciary has announced plans to provide deferred payment to court-appointed lawyers and support staff. However, many are skeptical about the effectiveness of this plan, citing concerns about the timing and amount of payments. "We're not just talking about a delay in payment," said a spokesperson for the National Association of Federal Defenders. "We're talking about a complete breakdown in the system. We need a long-term solution to this problem, not just a Band-Aid fix." The current status of the Defender Services program remains uncertain, with many court-appointed lawyers and support staff continuing to go without pay. The judiciary has announced plans to provide an update on the program's status in the coming weeks, but many are left wondering what the future holds for this critical component of the U.S. court system. In the meantime, defendants continue to wait for the resolution of their cases, often with little to no support from the court system. The recent funding shortfall has highlighted the need for a more stable and sustainable funding model for the Defender Services program. As one court-appointed lawyer noted, "We need to find a way to ensure that defendants receive the support they need, regardless of the funding situation."