Online Course: Public Defense Leadership Essentials

Strengthen Your Leadership. Support Your Team.

Course begins: February 2nd, 2026

Weekly 90 minute small groups – You Choose what works best for you:

• Monday 1:30 pm ET | 12:30 pm CT | 11:30 am MT | 10:30 am PT
• Wednesday 3:00 pm ET | 2:00 pm CT | 1:00 pm MT | 12:30 pm PT
• Thursday 1:30 pm ET | 12:30 pm CT | 11:30 am MT | 10:30 am PT

(The Monday class will be shifted to Tuesday on the week of February 16th, because of the Presidents’ Day holiday.)

Price;  $350 NAPD Members / $450 Non Members   You will continue to have access to the entire course after the completion of the small group sessions.

Registration Deadline – January 28, 2026

Whether you’re a new supervisor or a seasoned leader, this four-week online course from the National Association for Public Defense will help you lead more effectively, build a client-centered culture, and foster a thriving team environment in your office. 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 elevate your leadership.

What to Expect

On-Demand Learning
Each week, you’ll gain access to 1–2 hours of video content through our learning platform. Watch at your own pace as you explore key leadership topics that prepare you for deeper engagement during the live workshops.

Facilitated Small Group Workshops
Join a 90-minute zoom based workshop each week (4 total), led by experienced facilitators who understand the challenges of public defense leadership. 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.

Topics Covered

• Client-Centered Leadership
  Prioritize your clients while balancing the needs of your team and organization.

• Reframing Your Office Using the Four Frame Model
  Explore structural, human resources, political, and symbolic lenses to better understand and improve your office dynamics.

• Giving Effective Feedback
  Learn practical strategies for delivering feedback that supports staff development and fosters growth.

• Navigating Challenging Conversations
  Build the confidence and skills to have honest, productive conversations with your team.

• Creating Office Culture
  Shape a positive, inclusive, and mission-driven culture that supports staff and advances justice.

Who Should Attend

This course is for anyone in public defense leadership—whether you manage a small team or oversee an entire office. You’ll leave with tools you can use right away, plus new insights to strengthen your impact and better support your staff.

Faculty

Lori James, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW-C is a nationally recognized executive leader, scholar, ordained minister, and sought-after speaker with more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of leadership development, social justice, criminal legal reform, and faith-based advocacy. She currently serves as Executive Director of the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD), where she leads a national organization representing more than 27,000 public defense professionals across the United States and U.S. territories, advancing equity, excellence, and systemic reform in public defense. Dr. James earned a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies (2025). Her dissertation, Chains of Grace: The Church’s Call to Minister to Previously Incarcerated Individuals, examines the theological, pastoral, and psychosocial responsibilities of the Church in responding to mass incarceration and reentry. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Morgan State University. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker–Clinical (LCSW-C) and is pursuing a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) at Tulane University, focusing on women in executive leadership. A certified John Maxwell Trainer, Coach, and Speaker, Dr. James is also the President and CEO of Expand-NOW, LLC, where she provides executive coaching, leadership development, organizational consulting, and faith-informed training to justice-centered organizations nationwide. A recipient of the Gideon Hero Award and recognition as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women (2015, 2025). Dr. James is widely respected for leading with clarity, courage, compassion, and conviction—consistently advancing dignity, restoring humanity, and equipping leaders to serve boldly at the margins.

Patrice A. Fulcher is a distinguished trainer, law professor, author, thought leader, and litigator with over 30 years of experience challenging systemic inequality and defending the rights of the marginalized. Her career has been dedicated to building values-based training programs for public defenders, mentoring future legal advocates, and supporting organizations committed to justice and systemic reform. Known for her unwavering encouragement and deep knowledge of the criminal legal system, Patrice is a trusted leader and advocate. She is the current Director of Training for the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD).  She came to NAPD from the Maryland Office of the Public Defender (MOPD), where Patrice led the Training Division for more than a decade. Prior to her tenure at MOPD, Patrice made history as the first Black woman to earn tenure as an Associate Professor at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School.  Patrice’s litigation career includes serving as a Senior Staff Attorney with the Georgia Capital Defender, the Fulton County Public Defender, and the Fulton County Conflict Defender. She represented clients in capital and serious felony cases, and earlier in her career, she worked with the DeKalb County Juvenile Court advocating for abused and neglected children, and with the Southern Center for Human Rights challenging unconstitutional jail conditions. A founding Core Faculty Member of Gideon’s Promise, Inc., Patrice also serves on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College and the Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Workshop. She has trained defenders across the country through engagements with organizations including the Public Defender Service for D.C., the Kentucky Death Penalty Institute, the Mississippi State Public Defender, the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD), the ABA/NACDL National Defender Training Program, NLADA, the Black Public Defender Association, and the Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit. She has also presented for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Patrice holds a J.D. from Emory University School of Law and a B.A. from Howard University. She is licensed to practice in Georgia and Maryland.

Dr. Pamela Love
President of DP Love Enterprises and founder of the Finishers Network, who is an internationally renowned speaker, author, and coach. With a PhD in social work and a MBA, Dr. Love has dedicated her career to empowering individuals and organizations to achieve their highest potential. She has been on faculty with NAPD for over 5 years.

Cathleen L. Bennett recently moved to Anchorage, Alaska from Boston, Massachusetts where she was a public defender with the Committee for Public Counsel Services (the Massachusetts Statewide Public Defender) for 30 years. She was the Criminal Defense Training Director at CPCS for 17 years. As a trial lawyer trial lawyer in the CPCS Public Defender Division, she defended clients charged with murder and other serious felonies. She now works as a training consultant for the National Association for Public Defense, and she intends to accept appointments to represent criminally accused people in the Alaska Courts soon. Cathy is on the faculty and the Board of Trustees of the National Criminal Defense College. She is a Core Faculty member of Gideon’s Promise (formerly the Southern Public Defender Training Center), which was the subject of the award-winning HBO documentary “Gideon’s Army,” and she has taught for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and criminal defense training programs across the country. She received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the Committee for Public Counsel Services in 2007, the Scholar-Mentor Award from Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. (MCLE) in 2008, the Outstanding Faculty Award in 2011 and the Stephen B. Bright Award in 2018 from Gideon’s Promise, and the Gideon Award from the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in 2017.