About Us

Welcome to the website of the Federal Defender Office, Eastern District of Michigan. The Federal Defender Office (FDO), a division of the Legal Aid & Defender Association, Inc., is a community defender organization which provides court-appointed representation to indigent defendants charged with federal crimes in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. We have two locations: a main office in Detroit and a branch office in Flint, Michigan. We handle case assignments in the U.S. District Courts located in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, Flint and Bay City.

The excellence of the work in the Federal Defender Office was recognized in April 2000, when the Detroit Chapter of the Federal Bar Association bestowed the cherished Leonard Gilman Award to all past and present FDO employees. The Gilman Award is given annually to an outstanding practitioner of criminal law who exemplifies a legacy of justice, excellence, professionalism, and a commitment to public service.

The mission of the Federal Defender Office is to provide quality representation to indigent defendants charged with federal crimes in the U.S. Courts; to foster and promote the high standards and ideals engendered by the Bill of Rights and the Criminal Justice Act; and to ensure that the rights guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution are afforded to all on a fair and equal basis.

The Federal Defender Office administers the CJA Panel Attorney Program for the Eastern District of Michigan. The CJA Panel consists of highly experienced private attorneys who have been screened and approved by the U.S. District Court to handled court-appointed cases. If more than one person is charged or being investigated in a particular case, the Federal Defender Office is only allowed to represent one case. The remaining cases are assigned to private attorneys on the CJA Panel.

This website is primarily intended to provide litigation support for staff attorneys of the FDO, CJA Panel Attorneys, and other attorneys representing clients in the federal courts. We suggest you visit the Links page for links to several excellent web sites focusing on defense in the U.S. District Courts.

Office Hours

The office hours of Federal Defender Office are 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday.