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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for National Association for Public Defense
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250702T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250702T130000
DTSTAMP:20260506T082938
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UID:10000338-1751457600-1751461200@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Social Workers Meetup: Community Engagement and Community Resources
DESCRIPTION:This meetup will discuss the broad spectrum of community engagement and community resources: two sides of the same coin. Community resources are critical for an underserved client population in need of resources\, especially when they have gone without having this need met historically. But to link to community resources there is a degree of community engagement that must be undertaken. Does your office have a community engagement policy or aspiration? Is community engagement and learning about community resources part of the day-to-day work or ancillary to it? Are there ways in which you and your office are making community engagement measurable or quantifiable (e.g.\, a dollars and cents rationale for engaging with the community because it is a carceral alternative through community-based alternative sentencing)? Share your ideas and insights as well as what you are doing! \nStephanne Cline Thornton is a West Virginia native who has worked in and around criminal defense and mitigation for more than 20 years in Georgia\, Colorado\, and West Virginia. She is currently the Clinical Director for the West Virginia Judicial and Lawyer Assistance Program\, and owner of Transform Legal\, a consultancy focused on mitigation\, training\, and sustainability. As a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Master Addiction Counselor\, Stephanne focuses on proper assessment for and access to trauma and substance use disorder treatment to ensure the health and well-being of affected individuals. Stephanne is on the Trauma-Informed Care Network Speakers Bureau and uses that platform to call attention to the intersection of secondary traumatic stress and legal practice. She approaches her work with clients\, lawyers\, social workers\, and mitigation specialists through a contextualized mitigation lens.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/community-engagement-and-community-resources/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/04/Events-Icons-webinar-1-edited-1.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/community-engagement-and-community-resources/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250716T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250716T130000
DTSTAMP:20260506T082938
CREATED:20250711T172719Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250711T172719Z
UID:10000409-1752667200-1752670800@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Social Work Meetup: New Things to Share About!
DESCRIPTION:Similar to our past “brag fest” meetups\, this meetup is your opportunity to share new mitigation strategies you’ve tried\, new work products\, interesting client meeting questions\, innovative ways you have advocated\, manuals or guides you have created\, new initiatives\, and whatever else you would like to share that would be new to the group! \nStephanne Cline Thornton is a West Virginia native who has worked in and around criminal defense and mitigation for more than 20 years in Georgia\, Colorado\, and West Virginia. She is currently the Clinical Director for the West Virginia Judicial and Lawyer Assistance Program\, and owner of Transform Legal\, a consultancy focused on mitigation\, training\, and sustainability. As a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Master Addiction Counselor\, Stephanne focuses on proper assessment for and access to trauma and substance use disorder treatment to ensure the health and well-being of affected individuals. Stephanne is on the Trauma-Informed Care Network Speakers Bureau and uses that platform to call attention to the intersection of secondary traumatic stress and legal practice. She approaches her work with clients\, lawyers\, social workers\, and mitigation specialists through a contextualized mitigation lens. \n 
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-work-meetup-7-16-2025/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/07/SWMeetup-7-16-25-Sharing.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-work-meetup-7-16-2025/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250717T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250717T150000
DTSTAMP:20260506T082938
CREATED:20250708T211737Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250708T212508Z
UID:10000348-1752760800-1752764400@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:The Defender Wellness Collective: Monthly Meetup for Public Defense Wellness
DESCRIPTION:The Defender Wellness Collective is a monthly gathering designed to support public defenders and others in the public defense community in maintaining their well-being. This meetup provides a space for reflection\, connection\, and practical strategies to help mitigate burnout\, manage stress\, and build resilience in a demanding profession.\n\nThese meetups will occur the third Thursday of the month at 2:00 pm EST | 11:00 am Pacific.\n\nCorey Dewayne Smith is a United States Army JAG Corps veteran who has transitioned into criminal defense social work and leadership training. He is passionate about developing others and volunteers with several organizations that provide support and resources to leaders. As a nationally recognized speaker on leadership\, multidisciplinary team building\, and professional development\, he is committed to helping leaders and their teams overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/the-defender-wellness-collective-monthly-meetup-for-public-defense-wellness/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/07/Defender-wellness-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/the-defender-wellness-collective-monthly-meetup-for-public-defense-wellness/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250717T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250717T150000
DTSTAMP:20260506T082938
CREATED:20250712T172133Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250712T172133Z
UID:10000410-1752760800-1752764400@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Social Worker Supervisor Discussion: Hiring & Coaching
DESCRIPTION:When the team works well together and is a good fit\, the work gets done effectively and successfully\, fulfilling all team members. How do we hire the right staff and coach to their strengths and to the strengths of the team? That will be our discussion starting point this week during our Social Worker Supervisor Discussion. \nFacilitated by Stephanne Thornton and Kevin Bishop. \n  \n 
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-worker-supervisor-discussion-hiring-coaching/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/07/SW-Supv-coaching-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-worker-supervisor-discussion-hiring-coaching/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250723T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250723T140000
DTSTAMP:20260506T082938
CREATED:20250714T152759Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250718T192356Z
UID:10000411-1753275600-1753279200@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:July 2025 edition of the DEIJ MEETUP
DESCRIPTION:DEIJ Advocates\, \nJOIN US our July 2025 edition of the DEIJ MEETUP! Charles Fox\, Jr.\, M.A.P.P. (he/his/him) will lead us with his presentation – Bending the Arc: Navigating DEIJ in Public Defense Amidst Hostility & Misinformation. \nA timely presentation indeed! Don’t miss this meetup! It is the last meetup before NAPD takes its Annual Defense Rest for the month of August! Come connect with us and get inspired to continue in the fight. \nThe meetup flyer\, agenda\, speaker bio\, and Zoom link will be posted on the listserv. \nNot on the listserv? Want to join us? Send your request to be added to the DEIJ listserv to BGT\, DEIJ Coordinator\, at Brittanygt@publicdefenders.us. \n  \nSee you soon\, DEIJ!
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/july-2025-edition-of-the-deij-meetup/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/07/DEIJ-Meetup-2025-2.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250725T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250725T150000
DTSTAMP:20260506T082938
CREATED:20250707T211748Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250718T230936Z
UID:10000347-1753452000-1753455600@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Investigator Meetup: The Gideon Blueprint: Innovating On-Prem AI for Public Defense
DESCRIPTION:The Gideon Blueprint: Innovating On-Prem AI for Public Defense\nThis session explores the full arc of building a secure\, on-premises AI system tailored for public defense work. From research and cost comparisons to the decision to avoid cloud-based risks\, we’ll walk through the practical and ethical motivations behind developing “Gideon\,” our internal AI system. You’ll learn how we selected and tuned large language models\, navigated technical and organizational pitfalls\, and integrated the system into real-world defense workflows. We’ll cover current capabilities\, limitations\, and where we are headed next. This is a transparent\, behind-the-scenes look at what it took to build and lead AI innovation in the public defender space \nRobert Thies\nSenior Investigator\, Federal Public Defender – Eastern District of Missouri \nBased in St. Louis\, Robert Thies is a Senior Investigator with nearly 30 years of experience in criminal defense. He leads AI innovation for the Federal Public Defender’s Office and is the project lead for GIDEON\, a secure\, locally hosted platform supporting case analysis\, discovery review\, and legal strategy.  Robert is a national resource on AI use in defense settings and has authored internal policies\, conducted hands-on training\, and advised offices across the country. He holds an AI Prompting Certification from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and is the author of The Algorithm\, a novel about AI and the justice system\, due out in 2026. \nHe enjoys playing pickleball\, snowboarding\, and keeping bees. \n  \n 
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-meetup-the-gideon-blueprint-innovating-on-prem-ai/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/07/AIGideon-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-meetup-the-gideon-blueprint-innovating-on-prem-ai/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250730T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250730T130000
DTSTAMP:20260506T082938
CREATED:20250728T223125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250728T223125Z
UID:10000422-1753876800-1753880400@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:A Conversation Between Lori James and Cessie Alfonso
DESCRIPTION:Lori James is the Executive Director of the National Association for Public Defense\, a social worker and mitigation specialist\, who started her career as a social work intern under Cessie Alfonso’s supervision. Lori has served as mitigation specialist in many high profile cases where her work resulted in a positive outcome for her clients. Cessie Alfonso is a forensic social worker and long-time advocate opposing the death penalty who has had her papers archived at Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America\, at Harvard Radcliffe Institute. These two amazing powerhouses of public defense will have a conversation that is a do not miss event! \nLori James\, LCSW-C is a dynamic leader\, educator\, and clinician with over 25 years of experience in clinical practice\, training\, organizational development\, and leadership. She earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and her B.A. in Social Work from Morgan State University. Lori is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Social Work at Tulane University School of Social Work\, deepening her lifelong commitment to transformative leadership and justice-centered practice.\n\nLori’s expansive career includes program development\, program management\, collegiate instruction\, and leadership and management training. She has served as faculty at several universities and has been a sought-after trainer and consultant in national and regional leadership\, communication\, and team-building programs. Previously\, she was a part-time Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Studies and Community Development at Towson University.\n\nLori formerly served as the Director of Leadership and Program Development at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender\, an agency with over 800 employees statewide. In that role\, she led the agency’s social work division—including staff\, consultants\, and interns—and was instrumental in developing internal leadership and team development initiatives that fostered growth\, collaboration\, and mission-alignment across the organization. Lori is also a certified John Maxwell Coach\, Speaker\, Trainer\, and Facilitator\, bringing a values-based approach to her work in both justice and nonprofit systems.\n\nA published author and respected thought leader\, Lori has received numerous accolades\, including being named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record—first in 2015 and again in May 2025\, in recognition of her continued excellence and impact.\n\nCessie Alfonso is a forensic social worker\, domestic violence prevention and responder\, and organizational development consultant and activist. The founder and president of Alfonso Consultants\, Inc. which provides psychosocial assessments to clients of civil and criminal attorneys throughout the United States and abroad\, she trained and worked as a social worker and has collaborated with civil and criminal defense attorneys nationally and internationally for more than three decades to provide psychosocial assessments and other social work support to their clients. During the course of her work\, she and her colleagues have undertaken more than one thousand mitigation investigations.\n\nSince 1986 Cessie has consulted on over 700 capital cases\, often testifying as an expert in the penalty phase of those cases. A first-generation Caribbean American\, Alfonso has conducted mitigation investigations in Cuba\, Columbia\, El Salvador\, and Puerto Rico\, and regularly leads training sessions on domestic violence\, cultural competency\, among other topics. Alfonso attended Montefiore School of Practical Nursing (LPN 1965)\, Hood College (BA 1973)\, and Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work (MSW 1977). A member of the Combahee River Collective\, she is an activist who marched against the Vietnam War\, for civil rights\, and women\, lesbian\, and gay rights. In 2008 she was recognized by Governor Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey as a leading mitigation specialist who significantly contributed to the abolition of the death penalty in the state. In 2017 she was part of the Truth Commission on Poverty in New York State\, organized by the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/a-conversation-between-lori-james-and-cessie-alfonso/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/07/Lori-Cessie-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/a-conversation-between-lori-james-and-cessie-alfonso/
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