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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for National Association for Public Defense
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T130000
DTSTAMP:20260430T010832
CREATED:20251006T162210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T162210Z
UID:10000459-1759924800-1759928400@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Social Worker Meetup: Supporting Preparation for Parole and Reentry
DESCRIPTION:It has been said that preparation for reentry begins on the day of arrest\, and as mitigation specialists\, sentencing advocates\, dispositional advocates\, social workers\, and others meeting with clients to learn their story\, we are also focusing on learning what they can go back to or towards in their future. This week’s meetup will focus on how we support and prepare clients for their parole hearing and/or return to the community at the end of their sentence\, or even earlier\, upon release on bond. We will look at the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth’s Parole Preparation Toolkit\, and hopefully you will bring the tools and resources you use and the ideas you have! \n  \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/social-worker-meetup-supporting-preparation-for-parole-and-reentry/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/10/reentry-sw-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-worker-meetup-supporting-preparation-for-parole-and-reentry/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T150000
DTSTAMP:20260430T010832
CREATED:20251006T212634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251007T163427Z
UID:10000450-1759932000-1759935600@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Investigator Supervisor Meetup - Open Chat 2025-10-08
DESCRIPTION:Hi investigators in a supervisory role\, \nit will be the second Wednesday of the month \, so let’s chat about how things are in your offices\, with your cases and clients. \nSee you Wednesday at 2:00 ET\, 1:00 CT\, 12:00 MT\, 11:00 PT! \nJon
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-supervisor-meetup-open-chat-2025-10-08-2/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/07/Inv-Supv-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-supervisor-meetup-open-chat-2025-10-08-2/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T130000
DTSTAMP:20260430T010832
CREATED:20250815T180730Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251009T144046Z
UID:10000438-1760011200-1760014800@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Just Juries - Balancing the Scales of the Jury Box
DESCRIPTION:Join The Juror Project’s Director\, William C. Snowden\, Esq. and Deputy Director\, Porsha-Shaf’on Venable\, Esq.\, as they educate our people about jury service and jury nullification.  Through their work\, these amazing advocates “aim to change the makeup of juries to better represent the American population and the communities most commonly accused.”  They do  “this through community and public education about jury eligibility and the jury selection process and the power jurors hold in America’s high stakes criminal justice system.” \n\n\n\nCome learn how to better advocate for balancing the scales in the jury box for true justice for all.   REGISTER TODAY! Registration is FREE for NAPD members. \n\n\n\n\nWilliam C. Snowden (he/him/his) is the Director of The Juror Project and a professor at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. His work is grounded in a simple truth: exclusion is not accidental. \n\n\n\nAs a former public defender in New Orleans\, he represented people forced to stand trial in courtrooms designed to convict them. He later served as Executive Director of the Vera Institute of Justice in Louisiana\, where he advanced efforts to eliminate money bail\, reduce jail populations\, and shift power toward communities. \n\n\n\nThrough public education\, legal scholarship\, and grassroots organizing\, Will challenges the myths of fairness that surround the jury system. He exposes how civic participation has been weaponized to protect institutions rather than people. His work does not ask for faith in the system. It calls for clear vision\, informed resistance\, and collective presence in the places where decisions are made about our lives. \n\n\n\nLearn more about William and the Juror Project here. \n\n\n\n\nPorsha-Shaf’on Venable\, Esq. is the Deputy Director of The Juror Project\, where she supports programming\, strategy\, and partnerships aimed at increasing civic participation and dismantling exclusion in the jury system.\n\n\nA licensed attorney and social worker based in the Bronx\, she brings a background in public defense\, forensic social work\, and legal education. She previously served with The Bronx Defenders and the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem\, where she held roles as a staff attorney\, forensic social worker\, and team leader. Porsha holds a J.D. from California Western School of Law and an M.S.W. from NYU. She has trained public defenders and legal advocates across the country on jury selection\, jury nullification\, and trial strategy through platforms like the Black Public Defender Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. \n\n\n\nHer work is rooted in building community power through legal knowledge and public access to justice while simultaneously co-creating a world that prioritizes accountability over punishment. \n\n\n\nLearn more about Porsha-Shaf’on and the Juror Project here.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/just-juries-balancing-the-scales-of-the-jury-box/
CATEGORIES:Webinar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/08/Just-juries-IMG_5469.jpg
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/just-juries-balancing-the-scales-of-the-jury-box/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T150000
DTSTAMP:20260430T010832
CREATED:20251013T164135Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251013T165048Z
UID:10000461-1760623200-1760626800@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Social Worker Supervisor Discussion Meetup
DESCRIPTION:This meetup is a discussion for and with social worker supervisors supervising social workers\, sentencing advocates\, dispositional advocates\, mitigation specialists and others performing these roles in indigent defense offices. \nStephanne Thornton\, NAPD Social Work Training and Resource Coordinator and Kevin Bishop\, Social Worker Coordinator for the Colorado Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-worker-supervisor-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-supervisor-discussion-meetup/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251023T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251023T140000
DTSTAMP:20260430T010832
CREATED:20250731T210202Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251017T152310Z
UID:10000429-1761224400-1761228000@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Antiracist Expert Evidence: An Exploration of Racism
DESCRIPTION:Antiracist Expert Evidence: An Exploration of Racism & Its Relevance in Criminal Defense Litigation\nDemonstrating the influence of racism is vital to the practice of criminal defense\, yet many attorneys do not know how to prove racism in court. Visiting Assistant Professor Asees Bhasin\, Esq. and Professor Jasmine Gonzales Rose\, Esq. surveyed over seven hundred criminal-defense attorneys across the United States\, and nearly half had never heard of expert witnesses testifying or submitting written reports on racism—what we call “antiracist expert evidence.” This finding would be unremarkable if such experts were unhelpful\, but nearly ninety percent of surveyed attorneys expected that antiracist expert evidence would benefit their criminal-defense practices. \nIn this webinar\, they will present the findings of the article\, Antiracist Expert Evidence\, published in the Yale Law Journal in 2025. This article conceptualizes\, categorizes\, and instantiates six different expressions\, manifestations\, or mechanisms of racism relevant to criminal defense: (1) racist affiliations and views; (2) racist language\, sounds\, and imagery; (3) racial stereotypes; (4) racial disparities; (5) implicit racial bias; and (6) the impact of racism on health and behavior. It also analyzes survey results showing criminal-defense attorneys’ levels of familiarity with antiracist expert evidence\, their perceptions of its utility\, and the barriers they anticipate to its introduction. This article then examines these barriers and identifies means of overcoming them. \nThis webinar will cover all of these facets and facilitate a discussion about the use of such evidence in criminal defense practice. You don’t want to miss it! \nQuestions and concerns? Contact BGT\, Webinar Lead\, with any questions and/or concerns at Brittanygt@publicdefenders.us. \n\nProfessor Jasmine Gonzales Rose is a leading evidence scholar whose work examines how race\, language\, and racism shape legal proof and influence who can serve as factfinders in the justice system. Rooted in critical race studies and drawing from epistemology and sociolinguistics\, her research explores and reimagines evidence law to enhance fairness\, accuracy\, and equity. \nShe is Professor of Law and an award-winning teacher at Boston University School of Law\, where she currently teaches Evidence\, Criminal Law\, and LatinXs and the Law\, and previously served as Associate Dean for Equity\, Justice\, and Engagement. Before joining Boston University\, she taught for nearly a decade at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. \nA graduate of Harvard Law School\, Professor Gonzales Rose clerked for Judge Damon J. Keith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Judge Héctor M. Laffitte of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. She serves on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Advisory Committee on Evidence Law and has led antiracist legal policy initiatives both within academia and the broader community. \nShe has served on the boards of the American Civil Liberties Union of Greater Pittsburgh and the Abolitionist Law Center\, the latter founded by her former students. \nAsees Bhasin is a visiting assistant professor of law and Donald Gaines Murray Fellow. She teaches in the first-year Lawyering Program. Her research focuses on critical evidence law\, race and the law\, reproductive justice\, and the intersections between these fields. She is particularly curious about how seemingly neutral rules of procedure contribute to the marginalization of people and communities along race and gender lines. \nPreviously\, Professor Bhasin worked at Boston University\, where her research focused on the rules of evidence\, and the use of expert witnesses to prove racism in criminal trials. Before that\, she was a senior research fellow at the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale University where she researched and wrote on health law and racism. She began her legal career as a Georgetown Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow at the National Partnership for Women & Families in Washington\, D.C. where her advocacy was centered on reproductive rights\, and maternal and infant health. \nProfessor Bhasin’s scholarship has appeared or is forthcoming in the Yale Law Journal\, the Indiana Health Law Review\, the North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology\, and the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal. She received a joint JD-LLB degree from Georgetown University Law Center and King’s College London. She was born and raised in New Delhi\, India.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/antiracist-expert-evidence-an-exploration-of-racism/
CATEGORIES:Webinar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/07/Antiracist-Expert-Evidence-2.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/antiracist-expert-evidence-an-exploration-of-racism/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251024T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251024T150000
DTSTAMP:20260430T010832
CREATED:20251020T180456Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251020T184837Z
UID:10000462-1761314400-1761318000@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Investigator Meetup 10-24-2025 - Open Chat
DESCRIPTION:This Friday we will be having an open chat for our meetup. What are your challenges for your position\, within your office\, your client or just want to run an idea past your fellow investigators throughout the country\, come join us! Our meeting time is: 2:00 ET\, 1:00 CT\, 12:00 MT\, 11:00 PT
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-meetup-10-24-2025-open-chat/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/09/Inv-MU-Open-chat-Meetup.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-meetup-10-24-2025-open-chat/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251027T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251030T120000
DTSTAMP:20260430T010832
CREATED:20250310T143557Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T144334Z
UID:10000294-1761555600-1761825600@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Racial Justice Conference 2025
DESCRIPTION:Registration for the RJC is now closed! We can’t wait for you to #MeetUsInMontgomery!\n\n\nCLE Certificates now available.  If you’ve already purchased your ticket to the conference\, click here to purchase the CLE add-on.\n\n \nJoin the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD) for the sixth annual Racial Justice Conference (“RJC”)\, as we return to Montgomery\, Alabama\, one of the historic homes of the Civil Rights Movement. NAPD is proud to host this immersive and transformative conference\, designed to enhance your understanding of racial justice and your ability to fight for it in your work as a public defense professional. \nFeaturing highly respected speakers from across the nation\, RJC is an unparalleled opportunity to explore three key areas that impact our pursuit of justice for clients of color. \nFirst\, we will examine how we\, as individuals\, approach race and how we can work to overcome our own biases and preconceptions. \nSecond\, we will explore how public defender offices address race in their workplaces\, and how we can create policies and practices that promote racial equity and fairness. \nFinally\, we will delve into effective strategies for challenging racial bias and discrimination wherever we encounter it. \nThrough a range of educational opportunities\, you will gain the tools and insights needed to be a more effective advocate for racial justice in your work as a public defense professional. You will also have opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the country who share your commitment to advancing the cause of justice for all. \nClick here to view the Racial Justice Conference schedule! \nRJC Includes Visits to the Equal Justice Initiative’s Sites\nRJC also includes visits to the Equal Justice Initiative’s The Legacy Museum\, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice\, and the new Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. \n___________________________________________________________________________________\n  \n \nNew Exclusive Evening Keynote & Awards Event Available: Rooted to Rise Above\nDon’t miss this exclusive event featuring Bryan Stevenson as the Keynote Speaker.\n\nThis year\, we are offering a limited premium registration that includes access to an exclusive evening keynote and awards event. Rooted to Rise Above is an evening ceremony that honors and uplifts the practice of holistic public defense\, recognizing individuals and teams who exemplify client-centered\, comprehensive advocacy. \nSpace is ultra-limited for this event. Secure your premium registration NOW! \nWe are  SO excited for this! You do not want to miss this!  \nNeed to purchase a ticket to just for the Keynote Address & Awards Ceremony?  Want to upgrade your standard registration to a premium ticket? Grab your ticket here or email us. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n \nBe sure to review NAPD’s Event Policies to learn more about our attendance and cancellation policies. \n  \nBOOK YOUR HOTEL ROOM WITH OUR ROOM BLOCK\nOur room block is at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center. \nClick here to book your room. \nWe have a limited number of rooms. Please book early to ensure you get the best rate. \nThe last day to book using our room block is Wednesday\, October 1\, 2025. \n  \nCONVINCE YOUR BOSS\nNeed some help convincing your boss? Review and use our Convince Your Boss Resources. There\, we provide a sample letter and other information to assist you in convincing your office to approve your RJC attendance. \n\nSPONSORSHIP & DONATION OPPORTUNITIES\nInterested in being a Sponsor? Contact us to discuss sponsorship opportunities. \nWould you like to donate to our RJC scholarships? Donate to support scholarships for this conference here. Leave a comment\, “RJC\,” to apply it to this conference. \nThis years R.E.A.L. scholarship winners are here: R.E.A.L. Scholarship winners \nMORE QUESTIONS\nWe will be happy to assist you! Contact us here with your inquiry. \n  \n  \n* Ticket availability may be further restricted based on overall conference registration. Both the standalone and upgrade ticket options may expire at any time as standalone tickets or upgrading depends on ticket availability.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/racial-justice-conference-2025/
LOCATION:Renaissance Montgomery Hotel\, 201 TALLAPOOSA STREET\, MONTGOMERY\, AL\, 36104\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person Conference
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/03/RJC25-Graphics-BGTedits-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T130000
DTSTAMP:20260430T010832
CREATED:20251024T174132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251024T174132Z
UID:10000464-1761739200-1761742800@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Social Worker Meetup: Mitigation Addressing the Over-Representation of People Experiencing Poverty
DESCRIPTION:We know that people experiencing poverty are over represented in the criminal legal system because we see these individuals in indigent defense. There is a cost to the legal system that exacerbates poverty and unfairly punishes those who are unable to meet their most basic needs. During this meetup we will discuss ways that we can advocate against the collateral impact the legal system has on people experiencing poverty\, how – through mitigation – we can help the Court better understand the individual and reduce collateral consequences\, how we can utilize and broker resources to support basic needs for individuals who are under resourced. \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/social-worker-meetup-mitigation-addressing-the-over-representation-of-people-experiencing-poverty/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/10/SW-Meetup-Poverty.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-worker-meetup-mitigation-addressing-the-over-representation-of-people-experiencing-poverty/
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