---
title: O.C.G.A. § 17-12-33. Assistant public defenders’ private practice of law or concurrent judicial service prohibited; admission to bar in Georgia.
collection: code
id: 17-12-33
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 17-12-33 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-33
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-33.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-33/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t17-(v15)-2020-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=8c04ccfe_0#page=1329
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-32.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-34.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE / LEGAL DEFENSE FOR INDIGENTS / PUBLIC DEFENDERS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 17-12-33. Assistant public defenders’ private practice of law or concurrent judicial service prohibited; admission to bar in Georgia.

(a) Any assistant public defender or other attorney at law employed full time by the circuit public defender who is compensated in whole or in part by state funds shall not engage in the private practice of law for profit or serve concurrently in any judicial office.

(b) Any assistant public defender or any other attorney at law employed by the circuit public defender shall be a member of the State Bar of Georgia and shall be admitted to practice before the appellate courts of this state. The assistant public defender shall serve at the pleasure of the circuit public defender and shall have such authority, powers, and duties as may be assigned by the circuit public defender.

## History

Code 1981, § 17-12-33, enacted by Ga. L. 2003, p. 191, § 1; Ga. L. 2004, p. 631, § 17; Ga. L. 2008, p. 846, § 36/HB 1245.