The Capital Appeals Project

The Capital Appeals Project (CAP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit law office providing representation to all indigent defendants sentenced to death in Louisiana. Primarily, CAP represents clients in their direct appeals to the Louisiana Supreme Court and on certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States. In addition to direct representation, the Project's staff also resource ongoing capital trials, provide training and consultation for capital defense attorneys, engage in public outreach and education on issues relating to capital punishment and advocate for continued improvements in the criminal justice system.

CAP, with a staff of eight attorneys and numerous volunteers, handles approximately 20 cases a year, including state and federal death penalty appeals, capital post-conviction and habeas, and consultation in capital trial court cases. Funding for the Project is provided by, among others, the Louisiana Public Defender Board.

CAP encourages students to apply for fall and spring externships and summer internships. Work with the Capital Appeals Project demands rigorous attention to detail and creative thinking and offers students a closely supervised opportunity to learn the intricacies of death penalty jurisprudence while providing a much-needed service in the deep south.

Recently, CAP has provided representation in three cases before the Supreme Court of the United States in Snyder v. Louisiana, Kennedy v. Louisiana, and Montejo v. Louisiana.

The Capital Appeals Project
Director: Sarah Ottinger
Deputy Director: Mercedes Montagnes
636 Baronne Street
New Orleans, LA 70113-1004
(504) 529-5955 (office)
(504) 558-0378 (fax)
www.thejusticecenter.org/cap