Douglas Helman joins the Federal Community Defender Office after more than seven years with the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, where he represented indigent clients in both trials and appeals. He has tried multiple cases to verdict, including homicide, sex assault, and attempted murder, all resulting in acquittals. He has also briefed and argued dozens of appellate matters, including one in the New Jersey Supreme Court that resulted in a new limitation on prosecutors in grand jury presentments. In 2025, he was the recipient of the John Douard Award from the NJ Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for excellence in forensic science advocacy. Before becoming a public defender, he clerked for the Hon. Anita B. Brody in the U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Hon. Cheryl A. Krause on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He is a 2016 graduate of Penn Law School, where he was awarded best oralist at the Keedy Cup, the annual moot court competition.