BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//National Association for Public Defense - ECPv6.13.2.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://publicdefenders.us
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for National Association for Public Defense
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250808T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250808T150000
DTSTAMP:20260506T151353
CREATED:20250804T192329Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250804T194529Z
UID:10000430-1754661600-1754665200@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Defending While Drowning: The Urgent Need for Self-Care in Public Defense Investigation
DESCRIPTION:Public Defender Investigators are the quiet backbone of the justice system—relentlessly seeking truth\, advocating for fairness\, and shouldering the emotional weight of other people’s crises. But what happens when the people doing this critical work are overwhelmed\, burned out\, or emotionally depleted? This presentation confronts the reality many investigators face: the feeling of drowning while still trying to defend. We’ll explore the psychological and physical toll this demanding role can take\, the professional and personal consequences of neglecting self-care\, and practical\, accessible strategies for protecting your well-being. This is not about adding more to your plate—it’s about learning how to stay afloat\, stay effective\, and stay human in a system that too often forgets the humanity of its helpers. \nSharronda Wheat\, J.D. is a Public Defender Investigator II at the Office of the Public Defender in Contra Costa County. A proud Bay Area native born and raised in Oakland\, California\, Sharronda brings deep regional insight and a steadfast commitment to justice to her work. She holds a Juris Doctor from John F. Kennedy University\, College of Law\, along with a Certificate in Mediation from The Congress of Neutrals. Sharronda also earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration\, with an emphasis in Corrections and a minor in Sociology\, from California State University\, East Bay. With a strong foundation in law\, investigation\, and conflict resolution\, she is dedicated to serving her community and advocating for equity within the criminal justice system.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/defending-while-drowning/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/08/Defending-While-Drowning-Inv-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/defending-while-drowning/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250813T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250813T150000
DTSTAMP:20260506T151353
CREATED:20250810T230245Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T005356Z
UID:10000434-1755093600-1755097200@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Investigator Meetup for Supervisors - Work/Life balance
DESCRIPTION:While we have our usual grind of caseload\, managing others and a home life\, let’s talk about the balancing of these parts of our lives.  Come join us for finding how best to accomplish this daily feat for ourselves and our teammates.  Looking forward to you being part of this conversation.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-meetup-for-supervisors-2025-08-13/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/07/Inv-Supv-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-meetup-for-supervisors-2025-08-13/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250814T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250814T150000
DTSTAMP:20260506T151353
CREATED:20250814T151949Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T151949Z
UID:10000437-1755180000-1755183600@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Defender Wellness Collective
DESCRIPTION:Following the initial meet up we will now have an open discussion about the NAPD 10 principles of sustainability and how they show up in our work spaces. \nJoin us for a discussion of the wellness and sustainability in the public defense workspace facilitated by the NAPD Wellbeing Resource Coordinator; Corey Dewayne Smith
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/defender-wellness-collective/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/08/Wellness-collective-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/defender-wellness-collective/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250820T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250820T130000
DTSTAMP:20260506T151353
CREATED:20250810T151702Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T194617Z
UID:10000433-1755691200-1755694800@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Social Worker Meetup: The International Legal Foundation Social Work Fellows
DESCRIPTION:This social worker (mitigation specialist\, sentencing advocate\, dispositional specialist\, etc.) meetup will give us an opportunity to learn more about the work of The International Legal Foundation and the role of social work fellows performing international work. Megan Karnes will be joining from The International Legal Foundation and talking about the opportunities through the fellows program. More details on this below! \nThe International Legal Foundation (ILF) is offering an in-person opportunity for social workers to support the development of holistic\, rights-based legal aid in Myanmar. Embedded in ILF’s field office\, fellows work alongside local teams to strengthen defense practices and build culturally grounded\, client-centered systems. Fellows provide case-\nbased mentorship to empower local lawyers and social workers to become proactive\, strategic advocates. Join us to learn how holistic legal aid can take shape beyond Western frameworks—and how you can contribute to this transformative\, on-the-ground work. \nMeghan Karnes (she/they) is a social worker and HR leader committed to equity\, care\, and accountability in global nonprofit spaces. She serves as the Manager of Human Resources and Office Administration at the International Legal Foundation\, supporting the team through management\, team building\, and actionable operations. Meghan is currently working with the ILF Myanmar team to develop a Social Work Handbook that supports holistic legal aid through a culturally grounded lens. A fierce believer in radical transformation\, Meghan strives to be a change agent in reimagining systems toward justice and sustainability.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/the-international-legal-foundation-social-work-fellows/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/08/International-SW-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/the-international-legal-foundation-social-work-fellows/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250821T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250821T150000
DTSTAMP:20260506T151353
CREATED:20250808T141906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250808T141906Z
UID:10000432-1755784800-1755788400@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Social Worker Supervisors Discussion Meetup
DESCRIPTION:This meetup is for supervisors of social workers\, mitigation specialists\, sentencing advocates\, and dispositional specialists in public defense offices – it is for supervisors. The topic this month is how\, as a supervisor\, to navigate with supervisees the sometimes thorny rules and policies that guide defense-based social work (navigating mandatory reporting\, priority of the attorney’s license in decision making\, avoiding clinical work in defense-based settings\, etc.).
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-worker-supervisors-discussion-meetup/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/08/SW-Supv-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-worker-supervisors-discussion-meetup/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250829T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250829T150000
DTSTAMP:20260506T151353
CREATED:20250822T160134Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250822T162206Z
UID:10000442-1756476000-1756479600@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Truth or Tech: Detecting and navigating AI generated evidence
DESCRIPTION:As technology advances\, the manipulation of digital content has become more sophisticated and accessible than ever. It is now easier to generate or alter photos\, videos\, audio recordings\, and even handwriting\, raising critical questions about the integrity of evidence presented in legal proceedings. With the rise of AI-generated content\, we must consider how these advancements can potentially compromise the reliability of evidence in court. \nBrian Chase is a consultant\, expert witness\, adjunct professor of law\, and attorney. He currently serves as ArcherHall’s Managing Director of Digital Forensics and eDiscovery\, where he provides expert testimony\, teaches 100+ CLEs a year\, and manages their team of over a dozen experts. \nMr. Chase has a diverse education and work background. While working as a network administrator for the University of Arizona\, he earned a Management and Information Systems degree from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona\, a top-ranked program in the country. Mr. Chase went on to earn a law degree\, also from the University of Arizona. Brian has taught Trial Advocacy at his alma mater for over ten years and considers it one of the most rewarding things he does. \nBefore pivoting to digital forensics\, he worked as a trial attorney handling criminal defense and personal injury cases. Mr. Chase has worked as a digital forensics expert for over a decade and has testified over 45 times across the country as an expert in criminal and civil matters ranging from misdemeanors to murder to medical malpractice. \nMr. Chase has published and spoken on numerous technology-related issues impacting the law in the civil and criminal justice systems. He travels all over the country teaching law and technology\, digital forensics\, and evidence at a variety of legal and technical conferences. He is currently researching and presenting CLEs on AI technologies as they relate to the admissibility of evidence in both civil and criminal settings. \nHe was honored by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Daily Star with a “Tucson’s 40 Under 40 Award”\, which recognizes young leaders who are making an impact in the community with their professional and charitable work.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/truth-or-tech-detecting-and-navigating-ai-generated-evidence/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/08/TruthorTech-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/truth-or-tech-detecting-and-navigating-ai-generated-evidence/
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR