John T. Gorman

Mr. Gorman is the Federal Public Defender for the District of Guam. The Office of the Federal Public Defender provides zealous representation for persons accused of federal crimes who cannot afford to hire their own attorneys. He was appointed the Federal Public Defender by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2003. From 1997 to 2003, he was the Senior Trial Attorney in the Office of the Federal Public Defender. Mr. Gorman also worked as a Public Defender in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1992 to 1997. He received his law degree from Boston’s Northeastern University in 1992.

Mr. Gorman served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of the Philippines from 1982-1985. He lived and worked in a tribal Igorot mountain village in the Northern Philippines to build and maintain a drinking water system to ensure safe, potable water. Mr. Gorman also worked in the Bataan and Palawan Indochinese Refugee Camps in the Philippines from 1985-1989. He assisted in the resettlement of Lao, Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees fleeing from Communist dictatorships in their homelands.

 

Richard P. Arens

Richard Arens earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas in 1991. After two years with a private law firm, he moved to Guam in July, 1993 and began working in the Office of the Attorney General, Prosecution Division. As a prosecutor, Mr. Arens wrote several appeals and focused on the prosecution of Family Violence and Criminal Sexual Conduct cases. From 1995 to 1996, Mr. Arens practiced primarily civil litigation with the law firm of Horecky and Associates. In September of 1996, Mr. Arens became an associate attorney with the law firm of Cunliffe and Cook. With a passion for criminal and constitutional law, Mr. Arens was given the opportunity to focus on criminal defense. He continued to write numerous appeals and successfully defended scores of criminal defendants. In September of 2003, Mr. Arens accepted the position of trial attorney with the Federal Public Defender, District of Guam. From the time of his arrival to Guam, Mr. Arens has been a member of the Guam Army National Guard. He began his service as an Infantry Sergeant and has worked his way through the ranks to become a Warrant Officer. In July of 2006, Mr. Arens returned to Guam after a twelve month tour of duty in the Horn of Africa. Aside from his service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, his most notable achievement is the award of the Guam Cross of Valor.