Staff Attorney Department

Staff attorneys provide integral support to the judiciary by researching complex legal questions on pre-trial, trial and post-trial issues which arise in all divisions of the court. They also assist the judges with a variety of other matters, such as appeals, writs, postconviction motions, and capital cases. They prepare written memoranda in some cases and in others, report directly to the judges, either in person or via e-mail. They regularly draft proposed orders and appellate opinions for the judges’ review and approval. The staff attorney program greatly increases the efficiency of court operations by providing the judges more time to devote to hearings and trials and by ensuring that difficult questions of law are thoroughly researched. In 2006, the staff attorneys researched and prepared memoranda/ proposed orders in 350 appellate cases, over 850 postconviction matters, and countless other cases in all areas of the law.