A division of the Public Defender Service Corporation
Equal justice for those who cannot afford counsel.
The Private Attorney Panel for Indigents (PAP) provides court-appointed legal representation to indigent persons in Guam — and connects the courts with qualified private attorneys ready to serve.
Part of Guam's indigent-defense system, alongside the Public Defender Service Corporation.
About the Panel
The third tier of Guam's right to counsel
When a conflict of interest prevents every other public-defense division from taking a case, the Private Attorney Panel ensures an indigent person is never left without a lawyer. Panel members are experienced private attorneys, retained as independent contractors and appointed directly by the courts.
About the Panel
How the PAP fits within Guam's indigent-defense system and the law that governs it.
Learn more →For Attorneys
Join the panel, see how appointments work, and request an application packet.
Join the panel →Contact
Reach the office by phone or email, and find our location and hours.
Get in touch →What the panel handles
The cases our attorneys take
Panel attorneys are appointed in conflict cases across both the Superior and Supreme Courts of Guam — representing indigent persons whom no other division can serve.
Criminal Defense
Representation of indigent persons charged in criminal cases before the courts of Guam.
Juvenile Proceedings
Defense for minors in juvenile proceedings before the Superior Court.
Persons in Need of Services
Representation in PINS petitions and related juvenile-protective matters.
Appeals
Appellate representation before the Supreme Court of Guam.
Constitutional Writs
Writ proceedings involving the protection of constitutional rights.
The division may also appoint a panel of investigators to assist panel attorneys on a case-by-case basis.
Equal justice means no one stands before the court alone — not even when every other office must step aside.The purpose of the Private Attorney Panel
How cases reach the panel
The panel accepts no walk-ins and no direct requests for counsel. Representation is assigned only by court appointment — either by the court directly, or by conflict referral when the Public Defender and Alternate Public Defender are both conflicted out. If the court has appointed panel counsel for you, your assigned attorney will be in contact regarding your case.