Marjan Moussavian, an associate in the firm’s Litigation and Employment Law Departments, has been appointed by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey to the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel of Attorneys as a training panel attorney, or mentee. Her 18-month term expires on October 1, 2024.

Ms. Moussavian has earned a unique opportunity to learn federal criminal practice as a panel mentee. She was selected as one of only 10 individuals chosen from a field of over 100 applicants and is currently the youngest lawyer serving in a role on the panel. As stated by the Court, the objective of the mentee program is “to increase diversity and ensure the availability of qualified applicants to the CJA Panel by providing attorneys who do not have the required experience for membership of the CJA Panel with an opportunity to gain the experience necessary to provide high quality representation in federal criminal cases to individuals who cannot afford to retain counsel.”  

CJA panel attorneys are highly qualified, private attorneys who are appointed by the federal court to represent indigent defendants in criminal cases. These lawyers play a critical role in protecting a defendant’s constitutional rights, including their right to counsel under the Sixth Amendment. Nationwide, more than 10,000 panel attorneys accept CJA assignments annually.

Additional information on the CJA Panel of Attorneys is available on the Court’s website.