Georgia Public Defender Council

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Georgia Public Defender Council Our attorneys and staff provide zealous and effective client-centered representation

Georgia's First Offender Act gives eligible people who have never been convicted of a felony a way to complete their sen...
09/22/2026

Georgia's First Offender Act gives eligible people who have never been convicted of a felony a way to complete their sentence and move forward without a conviction on their record. The court can still impose probation, treatment, community service or restitution, and every condition has to be completed successfully.

Changes that took effect on July 1, 2026 generally keep successful First Offender records sealed unless the status is revoked, and create a process for some people sentenced before that date to petition the court.

Eligibility depends on the law, the offense and the judge's decision. The person who can say whether it applies to your loved one's case is the attorney representing them.

Families make a difference here: a reminder about an appointment, a ride to counseling, help finding work. Completing every condition is what turns First Offender status into a clean record.

Read the guide:
https://www.gapubdef.org/articles/a-second-chance-first-offender-act

Supporting Families is a series for the people who stand beside someone facing charges:
https://www.gapubdef.org/clients

Find the public defender office serving your county:
https://www.gapubdef.org/find-defender

From the mountains to the coast, happy first day of fall to everyone across Georgia.
09/22/2026

From the mountains to the coast, happy first day of fall to everyone across Georgia.

09/21/2026

Registration is open for two free, one-day regional trainings hosted by the Georgia Public Defender Council this fall.

West Georgia Regional Training — Monday, October 5, at the West Georgia Circuit Public Defender Office in Carrollton.

Northwest Regional Seminar: Communication for Defenders — Monday, November 2, at the Floyd County Government Building in Rome.

Details and registration for both are on the GPDC training calendar: gapubdef.org/divisions/training.html

09/17/2026

Constitution Day.

Two hundred thirty-nine years ago today, thirty-nine men signed a document in Philadelphia. Four years later, the Sixth Amendment added the clause that built this agency:

"...to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence."

For most of American history those words were a promise the government did not keep. It took until 1963 and Gideon v. Wainwright for the Supreme Court to hold that a state must provide a lawyer to a person who cannot afford one. It took until 2003 for Georgia to pass the act that built the statewide system keeping that promise here.

The Constitution is not self-executing. Every day, in every circuit, someone has to show up and do the work of making it true.

That is what the Georgia Public Defender Council is for.

Just posted: new openings for public defenders across Georgia, soonest closing first.Middle Georgia Alternate Public Def...
09/16/2026

Just posted: new openings for public defenders across Georgia, soonest closing first.

Middle Georgia Alternate Public Defender Office — Assistant Public Defender 3 (closes October 4)
Metro Office, Specialized Unit — Assistant Public Defender 4 (closes October 4)
Coweta Circuit — Assistant Public Defender 1 in LaGrange (closes November 4)
Piedmont Circuit — Assistant Public Defender 1 in Winder, and Assistant Public Defender 2 in Jefferson (both close November 8)

GPDC is a qualifying government employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, covers annual State Bar of Georgia dues for attorneys on staff, and pays for the 12 required hours of CLE. From January 1, 2027, starting salary for an Assistant Public Defender in Georgia will be $78,000 — at parity with assistant district attorneys.

See every open position and apply at gapubdef.org/careers.

Coming home is more than walking out the door. For many families, release is the start of a new chapter — one that takes...
09/15/2026

Coming home is more than walking out the door. For many families, release is the start of a new chapter — one that takes patience, planning and support.

Someone returning home may be looking for work while meeting probation requirements. They may need counseling, transportation, identification documents, or a safe place to live.

Progress is usually measured in small victories: the first job interview, the first paycheck, every probation appointment kept.

You can help. Plan before release whenever possible — talk about housing and transportation, gather identification documents, and find healthcare providers if treatment will continue.

GPDC’s Social Services Division works alongside attorneys, and eligible clients may be connected with community resources for housing, behavioral health, education and employment.

Read the guide:
https://www.gapubdef.org/articles/coming-home-helping-families-rebuild

Supporting Families is a series for the people who stand beside someone facing charges:
https://www.gapubdef.org/clients

Find the public defender office serving your county:
https://www.gapubdef.org/find-defender

The 2026–2027 Leadership Academy class opened its year in Pine Mountain, GA.The first evening belonged to the people who...
09/14/2026

The 2026–2027 Leadership Academy class opened its year in Pine Mountain, GA.

The first evening belonged to the people who have already been through it. Over dinner, Executive Director Omotayo Alli and five Academy alumni spoke to the incoming class about the year ahead — what it taught them, and what they carried back to their offices.

Built with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, the Academy prepares public defenders to lead: managing people, building budgets, setting strategy, and speaking for an office. Ten segments over nine months.

More than 60 attorneys have come through the program. Many have gone on to serve as Circuit Public Defenders, Managing Attorneys, and Division Directors across Georgia.

Welcome, class of 2026–2027.

Read more: https://gapubdef.org/articles/leadership-academy-class-of-2026-2027-opens-in-pine-mountain

No parent expects the call. When a child is taken into custody the questions come fast, and Georgia's juvenile courts an...
09/08/2026

No parent expects the call. When a child is taken into custody the questions come fast, and Georgia's juvenile courts answer them differently than adult criminal court does — weighing accountability alongside rehabilitation and education.

If your family cannot afford a private attorney, your child may qualify for a public defender. The court determines financial eligibility.

Your child is the attorney's client, so their conversations are generally confidential—even from parents—subject to limited legal exceptions. The attorney can still explain the process and next steps.

You can help. Attend the hearings, and gather school, medical and counseling records.

Read the guide:
https://www.gapubdef.org/articles/when-the-child-is-your-child

Supporting Families is a series for the people who stand beside someone facing charges:
https://www.gapubdef.org/clients

Find the public defender office serving your county:
https://www.gapubdef.org/find-defender

Labor Day.Today the Council's offices are closed, and we are thinking about the work itself — the assistant public defen...
09/07/2026

Labor Day.

Today the Council's offices are closed, and we are thinking about the work itself — the assistant public defenders who carried a full calendar last week, the investigators who drove four counties to find one witness, the social workers who found a bed for a client, and the administrative staff who kept 60-plus offices running while they did it.

To everyone who does it: thank you. Enjoy the day.

Three pre-law students spent this summer in the Barrow County Public Defender's Office.They reviewed discovery, research...
09/02/2026

Three pre-law students spent this summer in the Barrow County Public Defender's Office.

They reviewed discovery, researched legal questions, sat in on court, helped prepare cases, and translated for Spanish-speaking clients. Two of them had interned with the office before and asked to come back. One begins law school at the University of Georgia this fall.

Internships like this are how a public defense office meets its next generation of lawyers — and how a student finds out whether this work is theirs to do.

Read about their summer: gapubdef.org/articles/barrow-county-summer-interns

Address

Atlanta, GA
30334

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+14047952440

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