This section introduces the standardized Criminal Justice Act (CJA) forms, including those used for the appointment of counsel and compensation and reimbursement of attorneys and other service providers.
Federal courts use standard forms approved by the Judicial Conference of the U.S. or its Committee on Defender Services for Criminal Justice Act (CJA)-related matters. For example, special forms are used to determine a person's financial eligibility for CJA representation (Form CJA 23); to appoint CJA panel attorneys to represent eligible clients (Form CJA 20/Form CJA 30); for attorneys to request authorization to obtain expert and other necessary services (Form CJA 21/Form CJA 31/Form CJA 24); and for attorneys and others to request payment for their services (using the applicable Form CJA 20, Form CJA 30, Form CJA 21, Form CJA 31, or Form CJA 24).
These forms are referred to as “vouchers” when they are used by attorneys and other CJA service providers as claims for compensation and reimbursement of expenses.
Some forms are specialized for capital or non-capital CJA cases only; other forms may be used for either case type. There are also forms that may be used by panel attorneys to provide supplemental information about compensation claims that request funds in excess of waivable statutory maximums (Form CJA 26/Form CJA 27). These forms and various other specialized forms and worksheets are available at http://www.uscourts.gov/forms.