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Online Course: Representing Transgender and Non-Binary Clients
Designed specifically for public defense professionals of all job types across the country, this course provides practical tools, proven frameworks, and real-time support to foster deeper, more comfortable, and more client-centered conversations.
Price
$300.00 – $400.00
Dates: October 6 – November 14, 2025
Weekly 90-minute small groups: Choose between Mondays 6-7:30 pm Eastern / 3-4:30 pm Pacific or Tuesdays 6:30-8 pm Eastern / 3:30-5 pm Pacific
Price: $300 NAPD Members / $400 Non-Members
You will continue to have access to the entire course after the completion of the small group sessions.
Registration Deadline: September 27
Whether you have transgender or non-binary clients, or simply want to improve your client-centered communication, this six-week online course from the National Association for Public Defense will help you gain hands-on experience in effectively interacting with and advocating for your transgender and non-binary clients. Designed specifically for public defense professionals of all job types across the country, this course provides practical tools, proven frameworks, and real-time support to foster deeper, more comfortable, and more client-centered conversations. This course will also equip participants with the knowledge to advocate against and intervene in anti-trans bias in a wide range of real life scenarios. During the final week, you’ll have the option to workshop a case or project involving a transgender or non-binary individual, or work with course materials.
What to Expect
On-Demand Learning Each week, you’ll gain access to approximately 1 hour of video content and reading through our learning platform. Watch at your own pace as you explore key topics that prepare you for deeper engagement during the live workshops.
Facilitated Small Group Workshops Join a 90-minute Zoom-based workshop each week (5 total), led by experienced facilitators who understand the challenges of public defense. Through peer collaboration, real-world scenarios, and guided discussion, you’ll apply what you’ve learned and learn from others. Workshops are offered at multiple times—choose the one that fits your schedule.
Online Forum Engagement Dedicate approximately 30 minutes each week to participate in our online forum, engaging with fellow participants and course facilitators.
Project/Case Workshop (Final Week) During the last week, you’ll have less video content but will need to spend approximately 2 hours working on a project or a case to prepare for the small group session.
Please note: This class is designed for people who already want to support and affirm their trans and non-binary clients and want to learn how to do it better—it is not a good fit for people who do not already value inclusion.
Topics Covered
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Basic terminology and concepts relating to sexual orientation and gender identity.
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Asking clients about their name and pronouns in various situations.
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Common barriers faced by trans and non-binary clients in the criminal legal system.
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Client-centered strategies for addressing disrespect toward a transgender person.
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Balancing confidentiality and disclosure when working with transgender clients.
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Identifying and implementing verbal and non-verbal signals of openness and affirmation toward trans, non-binary, and LGBQ clients.
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Responding effectively when mistakenly misgendering a client, colleague, or friend.
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Identifying and advocating for office changes to be more welcoming to trans, non-binary, and LGBQ clients.
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Introductory ability to incorporate transgender and non-binary issues into storytelling (e.g., mitigation arguments, closing arguments, motion arguments).
Who Should Attend
This course is for public defenders, social workers, investigators, paralegals, or anyone in a public defender office who works with clients. Whether you’re learning the basics of working with trans clients or aiming to become a resource for other public defenders, you’ll leave with tools you can use right away, plus new insights to strengthen your impact and better support your clients. If you are learning to be a resource to other public defenders regarding trans clients, please let us know—depending on interest, we may try to organize a small group specifically for people in this category.
Course Faciliator
Skailer Qvistgaard (he/him) has been with the Massachusetts Public Defenders Office, CPCS, for 6 years, first in Springfield and then in Holyoke. He is currently part of their training unit, providing continuing legal education and skills courses to public defenders of all practice levels. Prior to that Skailer graduated from Suffolk Law School and was an appellate clerk for the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in Albany.
For the past 13 years, Skailer has been facilitating trainings for federal and state agencies, with particular emphasis on LGBTQ inclusion anti-racism practices. He has trained staff in courts across the Massachusetts, public school staff, universities, federal employees, and non-profit organizations on transgender inclusion. Skailer has also presented continuing legal education courses on transgender inclusion for attorneys and law students in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.