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The NAPD Fund for Justice Launched to Help Public Defenders and Public Defense Organizations across the Nation
(Lexington KY October 8, 2018) — The NAPD Fund for Justice has been started by a group of national leaders in order to advance the right to counsel and public defense in the United States. The NAPD Fund for Justice is a nonprofit organization with an application for tax exempt status pending with the IRS.
Nationally, The NAPD Fund for Justice is working to fund technical assistance to local defender programs on reducing workloads, obtaining education for staff, procuring resources, offering scholarship opportunities for leadership and skills programs, and providing student loan repayment assistance.
The NAPD Fund for Justice Directors and Officers are prominent national public defense leaders:
Jim Bethke – Lubbock, Texas
Cait Clarke – Washington, DC
Stephen Hanlon – St. Louis, Missouri
Norm Lefstein – Indianapolis, Indiana
Mark Stephens – Knoxville, Tennessee
Ernie Lewis – Frankfort, Kentucky
Edward Monahan – Lexington, Kentucky
“For the sake of clients and just outcomes, we have to make structural progress on excessive defender workloads,” said Steve Hanlon. “The need is compelling and this nonprofit will spur progress.”
Norm Lefstein said, “The nonprofit will fund technical assistance to organizations working to reduce excessive workloads, the preeminent defender problem. The Fund’s charitable activities will better equip overworked and underpaid public defenders and conflict attorneys with more knowledge through educational scholarships. This education will increase their ability and capacity to provide quality representation to clients.”
The National Association for Public Defense Steering Committee Chair, Maryland Chief Defender Paul DeWolfe, said that “charitable foundations like The NAPD Fund for Justice are a way to make progress on the structural needs of public defense organizations and individual needs of their staff. On behalf of our clients, we have to have this type of help. I hope many donate to its charitable works.”
The Board of Directors and Officers of The NAPD Fund for Justice ask for your support of the constitutional right to counsel with a financial contribution at one of these levels:
Nationally, The NAPD Fund for Justice is working to fund technical assistance to local defender programs on reducing workloads, obtaining education for staff, procuring resources, offering scholarship opportunities for leadership and skills programs, and providing student loan repayment assistance.
The NAPD Fund for Justice Directors and Officers are prominent national public defense leaders:
Jim Bethke – Lubbock, Texas
Cait Clarke – Washington, DC
Stephen Hanlon – St. Louis, Missouri
Norm Lefstein – Indianapolis, Indiana
Mark Stephens – Knoxville, Tennessee
Ernie Lewis – Frankfort, Kentucky
Edward Monahan – Lexington, Kentucky
“For the sake of clients and just outcomes, we have to make structural progress on excessive defender workloads,” said Steve Hanlon. “The need is compelling and this nonprofit will spur progress.”
Norm Lefstein said, “The nonprofit will fund technical assistance to organizations working to reduce excessive workloads, the preeminent defender problem. The Fund’s charitable activities will better equip overworked and underpaid public defenders and conflict attorneys with more knowledge through educational scholarships. This education will increase their ability and capacity to provide quality representation to clients.”
The National Association for Public Defense Steering Committee Chair, Maryland Chief Defender Paul DeWolfe, said that “charitable foundations like The NAPD Fund for Justice are a way to make progress on the structural needs of public defense organizations and individual needs of their staff. On behalf of our clients, we have to have this type of help. I hope many donate to its charitable works.”
The Board of Directors and Officers of The NAPD Fund for Justice ask for your support of the constitutional right to counsel with a financial contribution at one of these levels:
- Gideon’s Trumpeter: $5,000 or more
- Thurgood Marshall Advocate: $1,000 – $4,999
- Freedom Fighter: $100 – $999
- Sixth Amendment Litigator: $25-$99
Make your electronic donation at the Fund’s web page: https://fundforjustice.org/
Jim Bethke, Board Member, Director, Lubbock Private Defenders Office, Lubbock, TX
Cait Clarke, Board Member, Chief Defender, Administrative Office of US Courts, Washington, DC
Stephen F. Hanlon, Board Member, General Counsel,
National Association for Public Defense, McLean, VA
Norman Lefstein, Board Member, Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, IN
Mark Stephens, Board Member, District Defender, Knox County Public Defenders Community Law Office, Knoxville, TN
Ernie Lewis, Executive Director of NAPD, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary, Former KY Public Advocate
Edward C. Monahan, Executive Director & Board Member, Former KY Public Advocate
Cait Clarke, Board Member, Chief Defender, Administrative Office of US Courts, Washington, DC
Stephen F. Hanlon, Board Member, General Counsel,
National Association for Public Defense, McLean, VA
Norman Lefstein, Board Member, Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, IN
Mark Stephens, Board Member, District Defender, Knox County Public Defenders Community Law Office, Knoxville, TN
Ernie Lewis, Executive Director of NAPD, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary, Former KY Public Advocate
Edward C. Monahan, Executive Director & Board Member, Former KY Public Advocate
The NAPD Fund for Justice web page is at: https://fundforjustice.org/