Policy and Legislative Meet-Up
2026-01-21 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-28 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-04 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-11 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-18 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-25 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-04 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-11 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual, Virtual Event
This 60-minute virtual gathering is designed as a practical, working session—not a webinar. Together, we will:

Workshop active campaigns involving statutes, rules, budget advocacy, and administrative reforms.
Exchange model bill language, fiscal notes, one-pagers, and testimony templates.
Coordinate strategy on messaging, media engagement, coalition building, and storytelling from impacted communities.
Navigate ethics constraints, including 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) boundaries and public-sector limitations.
Translate courtroom experience and client narratives into persuasive, data-informed advocacy.
Share tools for rapid-response efforts during moments of crisis or legislative rollback.

Social Work Supervisors Meetup and Discussion
2026-01-22 14:00 - 15:00 | https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-work-supervisors-meetup-and-discussion-26-01/
This is a meetup and discussion for social worker supervisors who supervise social workers, mitigation specialists, sentencing advocates, or dispositional advocates in public defender offices; this is for the supervisors. This month we will have an open topic for supervisors and map out conversations for the year.
Stephanne 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.

Trainers Meet Up
2026-01-22 15:30 - 16:30 | https://publicdefenders.us/event/trainers-meet-up/
A weekly meetup where public defender trainers come together to connect, share ideas, talk through training challenges, and exchange best practices. It’s a space to support one another, learn from each other, and strengthen training, mentorship, and advocacy across offices.

DEIJ/Racial Justice Meet Up: Open Space
2026-01-28 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual, Virtual Event
Facilitated by Dr. Lori James

Investigator Meetup: What kinds of training would we like?
2026-01-30 14:00 - 15:00 | https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-meetup-what-kinds-of-training-would-we-like/
We will be joined by Amber Kaset to talk about what sort of training as investigators would be needed and wanted. Just like in A.I. it’s all about the prompting, so we will provide some ideas and look forward to yours as well. Let’s plan what is needed together!

Amber Kaset is widely recognized for her leadership in criminal defense investigations and investigator training, with more than 20 years of experience as a private investigator and mitigation specialist. She founded AK Investigations in 2010 after seven years at the Metropolitan Public Defender in Nashville, where she worked as a criminal defense investigator and interpreter.

Throughout her career, Amber has worked on more than 1,000 cases spanning a broad spectrum of criminal and civil matters. Her experience includes serious felony cases across a wide range of offenses, including sex crimes, homicides, and federal prosecutions, with work at both the trial and post-conviction levels in capital and non-capital cases. She has participated in numerous death penalty cases across multiple states, including cases involving foreign nationals from Latin America, and partners with the Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program (MCLAP), local innocence organizations, the National Innocence Project, public defender offices, and private defense attorneys to support clients facing the most serious charges.

What began as a one-woman practice has grown under Amber’s leadership into a multi-investigator firm with diverse skills and specialties. In addition to casework, Amber provides investigative services, training, and consulting nationwide, helping defense teams and investigators strengthen case development and elevate investigative standards. She regularly teaches and presents at national conferences and trainings for investigators, attorneys, paralegals, and defense teams, and has taught investigative practice to law students and other audiences at universities including Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is known for delivering thoughtful, high-quality, defense-centered support tailored to the unique needs of each case.

Amber is the founder of AK Investigations and the creator of The Investigative Expert Method, an online training platform for criminal defense investigators and other members of the defense team.

For more information, visitwww.akinvestigations.com andwww.investigativeexpertmethod.com.

JONATHAN “Jon” LYON is currently the Investigator Resource Coordinator, past Member Support Coordinator and the national survey investigator for National Association for Public Defense. Since the pandemic he has led roughly 200 meetups for investigators both nationally and internationally. Jon is the president of Lyon Legal Logistics to help attorneys in and out of court with Discovery and technology and has assisted attorneys in multiple federal court jurisdictions (www.lyonlegallogistics.com/).

He is also a legal investigator for McClain Investigations. Jon began his investigative background working in a PI firm and then for 12 years for the Office of the State Appellate Defender of Illinois. His primary focus has been on post-conviction death penalty cases. In addition, Jon worked for LexisNexis as an award-winning national trainer of the Case Map suite of software. He also worked for Lockheed Martin as a contractor supporting government attorneys and investigators with software and electronic discovery support needs. He is a Certified Defense Investigator through DePaul’s Center for Justice in Capital Cases and a Certified Trainer through the Bureau of Justice Assistance. He has taught at the Clarence Darrow Death Penalty Defense College, Cardoza, DePaul, Kent, Iowa, and University of Michigan law schools.

He has also taught at the National Defense Investigator Associations Annual Conferences, National Association of Legal Investigators annual conference, National Association for Public Defense, The Innocence Project, NACDL, Federal Defender’s winning strategies conferences, Life in the Balance, American Society of Criminology, US Army, Intellenet and numerous state and county public defender conferences. It is not unheard of for Jon to be invited back to conferences. Jon was most recently interviewed on “Public Defenseless” episode #99. Jon is the Creator/Webmaster for the internationally utilized website www.internetsleuth.net.

Online Course: Public Defense Leadership Essentials
2026-02-02 13:30 - 2026-02-26 15:00 | Virtual, Virtual Event
Strengthen Your Leadership. Support Your Team.
4 Week 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 | 12:00 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 LearningEach 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 WorkshopsJoin 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 LeadershipPrioritize your clients while balancing the needs of your team and organization.

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

Giving Effective FeedbackLearn practical strategies for delivering feedback that supports staff development and fosters growth.

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

Creating Office CultureShape 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.

Social Work Meetup: Elizabeth Loebman, LCSW, talks about work with clients around parole preparation and more
2026-02-04 12:00 - 13:00 | https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-work-meetup-elizabeth-loebman-lcsw-talks-about-work-with-clients-around-parole-preparation-and-more/
Elizabeth Loebman, LCSW, will join this meetup to talk about work with clients around parole preparation, reentry support, and prison conditions. Elizabeth’s discussion on these projects will help us better understand ways we can support our clients so join this meetup to learn and hear more!
Elizabeth Loebman, LCSW, is the Director of Client Services at the Office of the Appellate Defender (NY)

Emotion-First Practice: Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Missing Infrastructure in Public Defense
2026-02-04 16:00 - 17:30 | https://publicdefenders.us/event/emotion-first-practice-why-emotional-intelligence-is-the-missing-infrastructure-in-public-defense/
NAPD is co-sponsoring this webinar with Dr. Cherise Fanno Burdeen, Alison Bloomquist, and Professor Ieshaah Murphy, as the first training in an NAPD series on Emotional Intelligence in Public Defense. The next session is scheduled for July 15th with Dr. Lori James and Dr. Pam Love; further details are forthcoming.
Public defenders operate in an emotional ecosystem shaped by scarcity, hierarchy, racism, and chronic trauma. These conditions make self-protectionism adaptive and cause even promising reforms to wither. Yet unlike other helping fields, we rarely recognize how critical emotional intelligence (EI) is in countering these dynamics and sustaining meaningful change.
Join Dr. Cherise Fanno Burdeen, Alison Bloomquist, and Professor Ieshaah Murphy for a webinar introducing their new book, Emotion-First Theory & Practice, where they break down why EI is the missing infrastructure in public defense and how rebuilding our emotional ecosystem makes liberatory, client-centered advocacy possible.

Dr. Cherise Fanno Burdeen is a community psychology and justice systems reform expert whose career spans pretrial justice, public defense, government leadership, and applied research on equity and well-being. She has led complex organizations, shaped national reform strategies, and guided systemic transformation efforts to advance fairness, accountability, and community safety. Her experience bridges the federal government, national nonprofits, and state and local jurisdictions, where she has collaborated with policymakers, defenders, and advocates to drive justice innovation.
Alison Bloomquist, Esq. is a racial justice educator, strategic leader, and public defender with two decades of experience advancing equity in the criminal legal system. A Certified Racial Justice Trainer and faculty member at the National Criminal Defense College, she has led national initiatives on anti-racist practice and systems reform at NLADA and in Connecticut’s public defense system. She continues to serve as a Special Public Defender and a scholar on race and merit in legal practice.
Ieshaah Murphy, Professor Ieshaah Murphy is an Assistant Professor of Law at Howard University School of Law, where she teaches Evidence, Criminal Law, and Criminal Procedure. Her work in antiracist training in public defense offers a critical perspective on current practices and unresolved issues in the field.

Investigator meetup - Open Chat
2026-02-06 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual, Virtual Event
We are going to get together and talk about what’s on your mind. Including what’s been going on with you, your office and client’s.

JONATHAN “Jon” LYON is currently the Investigator Resource Coordinator, past Member Support Coordinator and the national survey investigator for National Association for Public Defense. Since the pandemic he has led roughly 200 meetups for investigators both nationally and internationally. Jon is the president of Lyon Legal Logistics to help attorneys in and out of court with Discovery and technology and has assisted attorneys in multiple federal court jurisdictions (www.lyonlegallogistics.com/).
He is also a legal investigator for McClain Investigations. Jon began his investigative background working in a PI firm and then for 12 years for the Office of the State Appellate Defender of Illinois. His primary focus has been on post-conviction death penalty cases. In addition, Jon worked for LexisNexis as an award-winning national trainer of the Case Map suite of software. He also worked for Lockheed Martin as a contractor supporting government attorneys and investigators with software and electronic discovery support needs. He is a Certified Defense Investigator through DePaul’s Center for Justice in Capital Cases and a Certified Trainer through the Bureau of Justice Assistance. He has taught at the Clarence Darrow Death Penalty Defense College, Cardoza, DePaul, Kent, Iowa, and University of Michigan law schools.
He has also taught at the National Defense Investigator Associations Annual Conferences, National Association of Legal Investigators annual conference, National Association for Public Defense, The Innocence Project, NACDL, Federal Defender’s winning strategies conferences, Life in the Balance, American Society of Criminology, US Army, Intellenet and numerous state and county public defender conferences. It is not unheard of for Jon to be invited back to conferences. Jon was most recently interviewed on “Public Defenseless” episode #99. Jon is the Creator/Webmaster for the internationally utilized website www.internetsleuth.net.

The Dark Tetrad: A Forensic Neuroscience and Neurocriminological Perspective
2026-02-09 13:00 - 14:00 | https://publicdefenders.us/event/the-dark-tetrad-a-forensic-neuroscience-and-neurocriminological-perspective/
The Dark Tetrad is a constellation of four interrelated personality traits: narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and sadism. These four traits are typified by grandiosity, manipulativeness, lack of empathy, and indifference to the well-being of others. The Dark Tetrad is linked to a diverse array of negative outcomes, including poor social relationships, career instability, and problematic or criminal behaviors. Research suggests that these traits are influenced, at least in part, by prenatal and postnatal neurobiopsychosocial factors. As such, neurocriminology provides a critical pathway for understanding the role of brain structure, brain function, and biochemical and genetic factors in the etiology of the Dark Tetrad. Further, forensic neuroscience can apply these neurocriminological findings to evaluate key psycholegal concepts and processes. Designed for criminal justice, forensic mental health, and legal professionals, this training explores the characteristics and causes of each Dark Tetrad trait through the lenses of forensic neuroscience and neurocriminology. Attendees will learn how these approaches can help enhance understanding, prevention, screening and assessment, interventions, and management of these traits. Cutting-edge research findings and compelling case studies will be presented throughout to illustrate key topics.

Jerrod Brown, Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S., is a professor, trainer, researcher, and consultant with multiple years of experience teaching collegiate courses. Jerrod is also the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS). Jerrod has also provided consultation services to a number of caregivers, professionals, and organizations pertaining to topics related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), confabulation, suggestibility, trauma and other life adversities, alexithymia, executive dysfunction, criminal recidivism, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and youth firesetting. Jerrod has completed four separate master’s degree programs and holds graduate certificates in Medical Biochemistry, Exercise Prescription, Neuroscience and the Law, Neuropsychology, Dyslexia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Other Health Disabilities (OHD), and Traumatic-Brain Injuries (TBI). In 2021, Jerrod completed a post-doctoral certificate in Leadership and Organizational Strategy from Walden University and a Professional Certificate in Forensic Psychology from San Diego State University Global Campus. In 2023, Jerrod completed a diabetes care and education certificate from Central Arizona College. Currently, Jerrod is pursuing his fifth master’s degree in Applied Clinical Nutrition from Northeast College of Health Sciences.Jerrod has also conducted over 300 workshops, webinars, and on-demand trainings for various organizations and professional and student audiences. Jerrod has published several articles and book chapters, and recently, co-edited the book Forensic Mental Health: A Source Guide for Professionals (Brown & Weinkauf, 2018) with ErvWeinkauf. Jerrod has also been quoted in various magazines, newspapers, and other professional outlets. Jerrod is also regularly featured on several national and international podcast programs.

Discussing My Book Chapter: Race Theories, Anti-Racism, and Applications for Health with Dr. Sharon Duncan-Jones
2026-02-10 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual, Virtual Event
Discussing My Book Chapter: Race Theories, Anti-Racism, and Applications for Health.
When we know what harms and what heals, neutrality becomes a choice—and justice becomes a responsibility.

Presented by Dr. Sharon Duncan-Jones (Eversley)
My chapter, Race Theories, Antiracism, and Applications for Health, in The Oxford Handbook of Health and Society, powerfully reframes race as a social, political, and policy-constructed exposure with measurable health consequences—and calls for antiracist accountability in science, policy, and practice.
The three (3) goals for the NAPD’s Racial Justice / DEIJ Virtual Session on February 10, 2026:
Goal 1: Reframe Race as a Determinant of Exposure—Not Biology
Participants will gain clarity on how race operates as a social classification system embedded in law, policy, institutions, and practice, rather than a biological risk factor—reshaping how health inequities are understood and addressed.
Goal 2: Equip Participants With Antiracist Analytical Tools
Participants will learn how race theories, antiracism, social epidemiology, and legal epidemiology can be applied to:
Identify harmful policies and practices
Expose structural drivers of illness and premature death
Shift from deficit-based narratives to accountability-based solutions
Goal 3: Inspire Justice-Centered Action Across Disciplines
Participants will leave empowered to apply antiracist frameworks in their own roles—whether as scholars, practitioners, advocates, policymakers, faith leaders, or community members—recognizing that justice is a public health intervention.

Webinars are offered free to members and $50 for non-members.

Investigator Supervisor Meetup: Promoting Within- "Friends Supervising Friends"
2026-02-11 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual, Virtual Event
Navigating the shift from colleague to supervisor can be challenging, often filled with uncertainty and concerns about relationship dynamics. This mini session will focus on balancing professionalism with existing connections to foster fairness, consistent treatment, and open communication.
LaTorya Blackwell has over 23 years’ experience working with the public defender community. A native of North Carolina, LaTorya is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and completed the Criminal Investigation Certificate Program (CICP) at the North Carolina Justice Academy. Since January 2014, she has been working as an investigator for the Federal Public Defender Office in the Western District of North Carolina. As of December 2022, she was promoted to be the Legal Chief/Chief Investigator within the office. Before transitioning to the Federal Public Defenders office, she was an investigator at the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office in
Charlotte, North Carolina for a decade. Prior to that, her background includes working closely with the Department of Juvenile Justice and local area Mental Health as a residential treatment counselor for at risk youth. LaTorya has facilitated the Paralegal and Investigator Skills Workshop sponsored by Defender Services Training Division and most recently served as faculty at the Federal Defender Investigator and Paralegal Seminar, the Race in the Federal Court Conference, and several virtual training sessions.

The Defender Wellness Collective MeetUp, Featuring: Anthony Williams
2026-02-12 14:00 - 15:00 | https://publicdefenders.us/event/the-defender-wellness-collective-meetup-2/
Featuring Anthony Williams, CEO of Mindwell.co (click to learn more about Anthony) .

Anthony will join us to share his perspectives on wellness and community resilience and to answer questions from the group.

ANTHONY WILLIAMS

Founder and Practitioner

Anthony has been a provider of individual and group holistic health programs for more than 24 years. Fluent in four languages, and informed by his studies and work in Africa, Asia, and Europe, he has developed a teaching process that leverages universal best practices drawn from the wisdom of a variety of human experiences.
Clients have included notable musicians such as Sting and Rick James, professional athletes Vernon Davis and Osamu Abe, executives from Nike, Google, and Intuit, doctors and health care providers, social workers, and incarcerated youth and adults.

Social Worker Meetup: Early Mitigation
2026-02-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, Virtual Event
During this week’s social worker meetup we will talk about how we are using mitigation for early-stage case advocacy, whether prepetition or predisposition. If we can be called in early to develop mitigation, our mitigation information can be used in a compelling way by attorneys who seek to reduce charges, avoid indictment, and advocate dismissal and release. How are you using early development of mitigation – or how might you if given the chance?
Stephanne 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.

Harm Reduction and Public Defense
2026-02-18 16:00 - 17:00 | https://publicdefenders.us/event/harm-reduction-and-public-defense/
This webinar will provide an overview of harm reduction services and principles, with particular emphasis on laws protecting harm reduction service providers and users from prosecution and how public defenders can collaborate with their local harm reduction programs to enhance their practice and further assist clients. Participants will leave the course with a better understanding of resources for clients who use drugs and the benefits of collaboration with their local harm reduction programs.
Presenters will be:
Leo Beletsky, Professor of Law and Health Sciences and Director of the Action Lab, Northeastern School of Law
Melissa Rothstein, Senior Legal Fellow, Action Lab
Sterling Johnson, Legal Fellow, Action Lab.

DEIJ/Racial Justice Meet Up: "Successful but Unfulfilled" with Dr. Crystal Currie
2026-02-25 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual, Virtual Event
“Successful but Unfulfilled”
This interactive session invites participants to pause, reflect, and explore the gap that often exists between professional success and personal fulfillment. While many leaders and professionals achieve external markers of success, they may still experience a sense that something is missing or misaligned.
Through guided reflection and facilitated discussion, participants will increase their awareness of why traditional measures of success do not always translate into deeper satisfaction and purpose. They will identify areas in their own careers where values, passions, or priorities may be out of alignment, and gain clarity about what truly contributes to their sense of meaning and fulfillment.
The session will conclude with practical, actionable strategies to help participants begin moving toward greater alignment and a more fulfilling professional and personal life—supporting sustainable success that honors both achievement and well-being.
Goals

Increase awareness of why professional success doesn’t always lead to personal fulfillment.
Participants will identify what feels misaligned or missing in their own careers.
Learn practical steps to move toward more fulfillment.”

Dr. Crystal Currie

Dr. Crystal R. Currie is a licensed therapist and leadership consultant with over a decade of experience facilitating trainings and workshops for professionals and community groups. Known for her engaging, compassionate, and practical teaching style, she helps individuals and teams understand how unresolved emotional patterns shape performance, decision-making, and relationships. Grounded in clinical practice and research, her Heal • Become • Lead framework equips leaders and organizations with tools to reduce burnout, strengthen emotional regulation, and build human-centered cultures that support sustainable impact.

Social Worker Supervisor Meetup and Discussion
2026-02-26 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual, Virtual Event
This meetup for social worker supervisors (supervisors of social workers, mitigation specialists, dispositional advocates, etc. in defense organizations) discusses issues specific to supervision practices and needs.
Kevin Bishop, LCSW, is the Social Worker Coordinator for the Colorado Office of Alternate Defense Counsel
Stephanne Thornton, LICSW, is the NAPD Social Work Training and Resource Coordinator

Investigator MeetUp: A tool for taking notes and analyzing investigative information, featuring Paul Chambers
2026-02-27 14:00 - 15:00 | https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-meetup-a-tool-for-taking-notes-and-analyzing-investigative-information-featuring-paul-chambers/
A tool for taking notes and analyzing investigative information.
During an investigation an investigator is expected to make sense of the detail involved. What is important and what is not may rely on the knowledge and experience of the investigator. This presentation will introduce an information processing method which promote a consistent approach to gathering detail which will identify categories of information. This will allow differentiation between evidential and investigative detail.
In addition when conducting an interview investigators have the difficult task of having to actively listen, formulate questions, and record notes all at the same time. This presentation will describe a note taking system which promotes the recording of detail and accurate processing of that detail.

Paul Chambers Bio
Paul Chambers recently retired as Senior Investigator at the Ontario County Public Defender’s Office. He held that post since the creation of the office in 2010. His journey to being part of the criminal legal system in upstate New York is an unusual one.
Jon Lyon – Chicago is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
He began by studying Chemistry at Portsmouth University. While there he interned at a Forensic Science Laboratory for 9 months working on a project to improve detecting explosives on hands to help investigate terrorism
After college he joined Hampshire Constabulary as a police constable. In 1990 after a nationwide selection process he was transferred for to the Royal Cayman Islands Police in the Caribbean.
On his return to Hampshire Police, he was promoted to sergeant and supervised shifts of officers. He also performed the role of Custody Sergeant, responsible for the detention and welfare of those brought into custody.
In his spare time, he took a master’s course in Forensic Archeology at Bournemouth University.
He moved to the US in July 2001 and in 2003 he became a Medical Investigator at the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office. He attended a course at St Louis Medical School and passed the exam to become a board-certified medico-legal death investigator.
While at the Medical Examiner’s Office he put the knowledge gained from his archeology course to good use, suggesting novel techniques such as Forensic Palynology and Isotope analysis be applied to a cold case. Tammy Jo Alexander
After working in the Medical Examiner’s office, He transferred to the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office to work as a Public Defender investigator. When the Ontario Public Defender’s office was created in 2010, he was asked to join them to create their investigation team. During his time there he organized multipletraining courses for investigators from all over NY state.
Trained in the PEACE framework and interested in the science of interviewing he has continued working with Forensic Interview Solutions and participates in delivering their scenario-based training using the PEACE method of interviewing across the US.

AI-Powered Discovery to Strategy: Turn Evidence Overload into Winning Defense, presented by NICE
2026-03-03 14:00 - 15:00
Juggling growing discovery volumes, tight deadlines, and increasingly complex digital evidence? For public defenders, the burden isn’t just collecting evidence — it’s turning it into a coherent defense. Join us for this webinar on March 3rd, at 2 PM EST to see how workflow-embedded AI can help you accelerate understanding, surface critical facts and inconsistencies across evidence, and move more quickly from discovery to strategy — without compromising client advocacy.

Learn how to:

· Review discovery faster and more accurately by quickly surfacing key facts across large volumes of digital evidence.
· Create clear, defensible timelines by linking people, places, objects, and events across evidence sources.
· Draft motions, briefs, and arguments confidently with transparent citations, verification loops, and safeguards that preserve your professional judgment.
· Prepare evidence for disclosure or court with clarity, completeness, and confidence.
· Maintain trust and accountability using critical guardrails — audit trails, role-based access, records integrity, policy alignment, and AI that operates entirely within your organization’s secure environment.

Move from discovery to strategy faster, reduce backlogs, and strengthen client advocacy — without compromising the principles of effective public defense.
Presenters
Rod Guy
Vice President, Business Development
NiCE
Shelly Williams
Director of Product Management
NiCE
Kelsey Kaufman Robinson
Senior Product Mgr.
NiCE

PRIVACY NOTICE: This is a presentation from an NAPD sponsor. Registration is managed directly by NiCE Justice Services. Completing the registration form will provide your information to a third party.
www.nicepublicsafety.com

NiCE is pleased to make available information on products and services that may be of interest to you in your organization or career.

Social Worker Meetup: A discussion about Specialty Courts
2026-03-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, Virtual Event
This week’s social worker meetup will explore the roles we play in Specialty Courts (Family Treatment Courts, Recovery Courts, Veterans Courts, etc.) and the roles that Specialty Courts play in diversion and how they may either support or impact the clients with whom we work. Take a look at this blog post from the Prison Policy Initiative that examines some of the problems in specialty courts as these affect the persons involved in these court alternatives, and we will discuss our experience and ways we may support clients to counteract the problems where possible.
Stephanne 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.

DEIJ/Racial Justice MeetUp featuring Guest Presenter
2026-03-10 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual, Virtual Event
Details TBA. Meetup events are exclusive to NAPD members.

Investigator Supervisors - What kind of training do we need?
2026-03-11 14:00 - 15:00 | https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-supervisors-what-kind-of-training-do-we-need/
We will be joined by Amber Kaset to talk about what sort of training as supervisors of our investigative team would be needed and wanted. Just like in A.I. it’s all about the prompting, so we will provide some ideas and look forward to yours as well. Let’s plan what is needed together!

Amber Kaset is widely recognized for her leadership in criminal defense investigations and investigator training, with more than 20 years of experience as a private investigator and mitigation specialist. She founded AK Investigations in 2010 after seven years at the Metropolitan Public Defender in Nashville, where she worked as a criminal defense investigator and interpreter.
Throughout her career, Amber has worked on more than 1,000 cases spanning a broad spectrum of criminal and civil matters. Her experience includes serious felony cases across a wide range of offenses, including sex crimes, homicides, and federal prosecutions, with work at both the trial and post-conviction levels in capital and non-capital cases. She has participated in numerous death penalty cases across multiple states, including cases involving foreign nationals from Latin America, and partners with the Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program (MCLAP), local innocence organizations, the National Innocence Project, public defender offices, and private defense attorneys to support clients facing the most serious charges.
What began as a one-woman practice has grown under Amber’s leadership into a multi-investigator firm with diverse skills and specialties. In addition to casework, Amber provides investigative services, training, and consulting nationwide, helping defense teams and investigators strengthen case development and elevate investigative standards. She regularly teaches and presents at national conferences and trainings for investigators, attorneys, paralegals, and defense teams, and has taught investigative practice to law students and other audiences at universities including Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is known for delivering thoughtful, high-quality, defense-centered support tailored to the unique needs of each case.
Amber is the founder of AK Investigations and the creator of The Investigative Expert Method, an online training platform for criminal defense investigators and other members of the defense team.
For more information, visitwww.akinvestigations.com andwww.investigativeexpertmethod.com.
JONATHAN “Jon” LYON is currently the Investigator Resource Coordinator, past Member Support Coordinator and the national survey investigator for National Association for Public Defense. Since the pandemic he has led roughly 200 meetups for investigators both nationally and internationally. Jon is the president of Lyon Legal Logistics to help attorneys in and out of court with Discovery and technology and has assisted attorneys in multiple federal court jurisdictions (www.lyonlegallogistics.com/).
He is also a legal investigator for McClain Investigations. Jon began his investigative background working in a PI firm and then for 12 years for the Office of the State Appellate Defender of Illinois. His primary focus has been on post-conviction death penalty cases. In addition, Jon worked for LexisNexis as an award-winning national trainer of the Case Map suite of software. He also worked for Lockheed Martin as a contractor supporting government attorneys and investigators with software and electronic discovery support needs. He is a Certified Defense Investigator through DePaul’s Center for Justice in Capital Cases and a Certified Trainer through the Bureau of Justice Assistance. He has taught at the Clarence Darrow Death Penalty Defense College, Cardoza, DePaul, Kent, Iowa, and University of Michigan law schools.
He has also taught at the National Defense Investigator Associations Annual Conferences, National Association of Legal Investigators annual conference, National Association for Public Defense, The Innocence Project, NACDL, Federal Defender’s winning strategies conferences, Life in the Balance, American Society of Criminology, US Army, Intellenet and numerous state and county public defender conferences. It is not unheard of for Jon to be invited back to conferences. Jon was most recently interviewed on “Public Defenseless” episode #99. Jon is the Creator/Webmaster for the internationally utilized website www.internetsleuth.net.

The Defender Wellness Collective MeetUp, Featuring: Terri Collins-Green, LCSW-C
2026-03-12 14:00 - 15:00
Together, We Are the Culture
As we build this community, remember that culture is not imposed; It is grown.
“You are essential. You are worth sustaining.”
You’re not alone.
Let’s walk this road together, building a culture of wellness for everyone in public defense.

Link the NAPD 10 Principles of Sustainability
