Upcoming Events
07/13/2026
The Road to the Court of Appeals: Understandi
07/14/2026
Ethical Legal Research with Generative AI
07/16/2026
The Road to the Court of Appeals: Understandi
09/09/2026
Attorney Well-Being Committee Meeting
Criminal and Family Court Assigned Counsel Information
The largest provider of mandated representation in Westchester County is the Assigned Counsel Panel, administered by the Westchester County Independent Office of Assigned Counsel (OAC). The OAC operates pursuant to Westchester County Law Chapter 186, is overseen by a Board of Directors and is subject to standards promulgated by the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services. The OAC is responsible for ensuring that panel attorneys are well-qualified to provide high quality legal representation, have access to the resources needed to practice law at the highest level and are paid with County and/or State funds for their services pursuant to a rate structure determined by state law.
The OAC represents clients who cannot afford to hire an attorney in both Criminal and Family proceedings. There are 8 distinct panels under the OAC:
- Criminal
- A-felony
- Felony
- Misdemeanor
- Parole
- Criminal Appeals
- Family
- Tier II (Article 10 New York Family Court Act)
- Tier I (Family Offense Petitions, Paternity, Custody, Visitation, etc.)
- Family Court Appeals
Minimum Attorney Qualifications
An attorney in good standing who has been admitted to practice before the Courts of the State of New York may apply to be a member of the Westchester County Assigned Counsel Panel if they live in Westchester County or has an office for the practice of law in Westchester County.
An attorney in good standing who has been admitted to practice before the Courts of the State of New York may apply to be a member of the Westchester County Assigned Counsel Panel if they live in Westchester County or has an office for the practice of law in Westchester County.
The Westchester County Bar Association and its Assigned Counsel Screening Committee sets the qualifications and standards used to determine eligibility for membership on the Assigned Counsel Panel. Screening Committee members, well-versed in the demands of the Panel, are selected by the WCBA’s President and serve a term in accordance with WCBA rules and by-laws.
The Application Process:
Interested attorneys: To begin the application process, you need to obtain a copy of the application form. You may download it, or call (914) 761-3707 ext. 85 or email assignedcounsel@wcbany.org. to request that a copy be sent to you.
The fillable/printable applications can be found HERE.
Once you have completed and submitted your application and any necessary supporting documents to assignedcounsel@wcbany.org, your application will be randomly assigned to a member of the Assigned Counsel Screening Committee who will arrange to meet with you by phone or video conference. The purpose of the interview is to evaluate your experience and ability as they relate to the Assigned Counsel Panel. The Committee member will then submit a report on your application to the Committee as a whole at the next monthly meeting.
Upon receiving and considering the report, the Committee will decide whether to recommend you for certification to one or more Panels. It then communicates that decision in writing to the OAC Administrator. The Administrator makes all determinations on applications for certification to the Panel. Please note that Chapter 186b of the Laws of Westchester County states, "All determinations on applications for certification to the panel shall be made by the Assigned Counsel Administrator" 186.71 (d). Approval by the Assigned Counsel Committee of WCBA does not guarantee that you will be certified to the Panel. Every attorney on the Panel must apply for recertification every three years (there is no fee to do so) and follow the same procedure as that for a first-time applicant.
Please note that all determinations on applications for certification made by the WCBA Assigned Counsel Screening Committees are subject to final approval by the Assigned Counsel Administrator" per Chapter 186.71 (d) of the Laws of Westchester County.
How do I start getting cases?
After approval by the OAC Administrator, a Letter of Introduction will be prepared that includes your name, contact information and level of certification, sent by the OAC to the Court(s) in which you are certified to practice. Your name will then be included in list of attorneys eligible for assignment to clients in that Court(s).
What if I am not certified for membership on a panel?
You may seek review by the OAC Board of Directors.
Resources:
ILS Standards
Chapter 186 Westchester County Local Law
Annual SPONSORS AND CORPORATE PARTNERS
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)