---
title: O.C.G.A. § 17-12-41. Assistance of public defender by third-year law student or staff instructor.
collection: code
id: 17-12-41
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 17-12-41 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-41
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-41.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-41/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=1333
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/17-12-40.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-12-42.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 / ASSISTANCE BY THIRD-YEAR LAW STUDENTS OR STAFF INSTRUCTORS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 17-12-41. Assistance of public defender by third-year law student or staff instructor.

An authorized third-year law student or staff instructor, when under the supervision of a circuit public defender, may assist in criminal proceedings within this state as if admitted and licensed to practice law in this state except that all pleadings and other entries of record must be signed by a circuit public defender or by his or her duly appointed assistant and that, in the conduct of a trial or other criminal proceeding, a circuit public defender or his or her duly appointed assistant must be physically present.

## History

Code 1981, § 17-12-41, enacted by Ga. L. 2003, p. 191, § 1.