The Trial Mentor Program is designed to ease this qualification without sacrificing the skill and experience necessary to properly represent clients charged with felonies. You must have handled a total of five cases on that panel to conclusion. You must serve as associate counsel on four felony jury trials. The trials must be for charges encompassing at least the level of the panel to which you are seeking approval. The associate counsel position will NOT be compensated.
Participation is solely for the purpose of qualifying for a higher panel.
On completion of these requirements, you will move up one panel, i.e. from Misdemeanor to D and E felony and from D and E felony to A, B and C felony. If you move from the Misdemeanor panel, after being there for one year and handling five cases you can again participate as associate counsel in four felony trials to move up another panel. Of course, if you have your own felony jury trial on one of your own cases, you do not need to participate as associate counsel. Thirty-four members of the A, B, and C felony panel have agreed to be Trial Mentors. They will notify our office of scheduled trials.