Court Appointment Panels

Attorneys seeking certification to court appointment panels must file an Application for Court Appointment Certification form with the Chief Justice, Presiding Justice, or Chief Judge of the respective court. See Forms under Quick Links. The information provided must demonstrate that the attorney has the required level of experience to qualify for court appointment in the type(s) of case(s) set forth in Supreme Court Executive Order 2025-02. A copy of the professional liability insurance policy declaration sheet from the attorney’s policy must be enclosed with the application.

Attorneys may be certified for rotating court appointments on a case-by-case basis or as a duty attorney based upon the general and specific requirements listed in Supreme Court Executive Order 2025-02.​​

Attorneys seeking recertification to court appointment panels must file an Application for Court Appointment Recertification form every third August 15 following the original certification. The first recertification for attorneys on the court appointment panels as of April 4, 2025 will be due on August 15, 2028 (see Supreme Court Executive Order 2025-02). If the attorney fails to obtain recertification by August 15 of every third year, then the attorney shall have to complete the original certification process. A copy of the professional liability insurance policy declaration sheet from your policy must be enclosed with your application.

An attorney who is certified on a panel but does not indicate on the recertification form that the attorney wishes to recertify on a panel, then the attorney will be removed from that panel. If the attorney does not recertify on a panel and later seeks to rejoin that panel, or if the attorney seeks to add new panels, then the attorney is required to seek certification, which requires prior approval by the Chief Justice, Presiding Justice, or Chief Judge of the court of appointment.​​​​

If the attorney has not previously done so or has recently changed law firms, the attorney must fill out the State of Rhode Island Form W-9 Payer’s Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification and submit the completed form with original signature to the indigentdefenseinfo@courts.ri.gov. If the preferred payment is by ACH, please complete the State of Rhode Island Vendor ACH Enrollment form and file the form with the appropriate documentation to State of Rhode Island Purchasing Department as directed. An attorney will not receive payment for your services until any paperwork submitted is processed by the State of Rhode Island Purchasing Department.

All requests for payment for the indigent defense services panels shall be made online via the Payment for Indigent Defense Services Portal. Submission of payment online is mandatory. The accuracy and veracity of the information shall be attested to by the requesting attorney.​

Attorneys seeking payment for court appointed cases shall submit such requests in the following instances:
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Requests for payment that are submitted after the above-mentioned time periods shall not be approved for payment.

Partial payment is permitted in three (3) instances. First, in the Family Court, requests for payment shall be submitted by the 30th of each month for services rendered. Second, in lengthy cases where the attorney has worked on the matter for more than one (1) year, the attorney may submit a timesheet for services rendered to date and is allowed to do so for each subsequent year or until final disposition. Third, in cases where a defendant fails to appear and a warrant has been issued, the attorney may submit a timesheet for partial payment six (6) months from the issuance date of the warrant.​​​​