Spark Presentations – Changemakers Forum 2024
We’re thrilled to have you as a speaker for the “Spark” presentations at The Changemakers Forum: NAPD Strategic Exchange. Your contribution is vital in our pursuit to engage deeply with the challenges facing public defense today.
We encourage you to draw upon your unique experiences, insights, or research to craft a message that resonates and spurs action or deeper inquiry. Whether through storytelling, presenting data, or posing provocative questions, your goal is to leave the audience inspired, informed, and ready to delve into more in-depth conversations.
See below for more details and recommendations for preparing your Spark Presentation. We are still working out the details of the schedule and will add the topics of each presentation soon. Click here to see structure of the event.
We will have 60 Public Defense Thought Leaders from throughout the country. They were selected through an application process to attend this unique event. Below is a list of the job titles and locations of the participants.
| Title | Office Name | City | State | Job type (select all that apply) |
| Deputy Public Defender | Alaska Public Defender Agency | Anchorage | AK | Policy work, Administrative, Attorney, Leader or Supervisor |
| Chief Financial and Administrative Officer | Santa Barbara County Public Defender | Santa Barbara | CA | Fiscal, Leader or Supervisor, HR, Technology, Administrative, Paralegal |
| San Francisco Public Defender | Office of the Public Defender | San Francisco | CA | Attorney, Leader or Supervisor |
| Public Defender | Los Angeles County Public Defender | Los Angeles | California | Attorney |
| Podcaster | Publicdefenseless Podcast | Denver | Colorado | Policy work, Student |
| Director of Public Defense, NACDL | National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers | Washington | DC | Leader or Supervisor, Attorney, Policy work |
| Senior Policy Attorney | Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center | Washington | DC | Policy work |
| Assistant Public Defender | Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender | Chicago | Illinois | Attorney |
| Director of Special Projects | Administration Office – Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services | Topeka | Kansas | Policy work, Leader or Supervisor, Administrative, Attorney |
| Assistant Training Director | Kansas State Board of Indigent Defense Services | Topeka | Kansas | Training Director, Administrative, Attorney, Leader or Supervisor |
| Deputy Chief Counsel | Youth Advocacy Division(YAD) of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) | Boston | MA | Leader or Supervisor |
| Deputy Chief Counsel MA Committee for Public Counsel Services Mental health Litigation Division | Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services | Boston | MA | Policy work, Leader or Supervisor, Fiscal, Attorney, See the next answer. |
| Chief Counsel | Committee for Public Counsel | Boston | Massachusetts | Leader or Supervisor |
| Deputy Chief County, Public Defender Division | Committee For Public Counsel Services | Boston | Massachusetts | Leader or Supervisor, Policy work, Attorney, Senior Management/Public Defender Divsion |
| Director of Social Services Advocacy, Public Defender Division | Committee for Public Counsel Services | Boston (state-wide role) | Massachusetts | Leader or Supervisor, Mitigation Specialist / Social Worker / Client Advocate |
| Director of Administration and Operations | Committee for Public Counsel Services | Boston | Massachusetts | Operations/Administration |
| Deputy Chief Counsel Private Counsel Division | Committee for Public Counsel Servies | Boston | Massachusetts | Attorney, Leader or Supervisor |
| Attorney | State Appellate Defender Office | Detroit | MI | Training Director, Attorney, Leader or Supervisor |
| Attorney | Walenta Law | Grand Rapids | Michigan | Attorney |
| Managing Attorney | Minnesota Public Defender Office – Olmsted County | Rochester | Minnesota | Attorney, Leader or Supervisor |
| Regional Trial Division Director | Missouri State Public Defender | St. Louis | Missouri | Attorney, Leader or Supervisor |
| Principal at LAWYER HANLON | Stephen Hanlon | St. Louis | Missouri | Policy work, Attorney, Advocate, expert witness, litigation specialist |
| Southern Region Trial Division Director | Missouri State Public Defender | Rolla | MO | Attorney, Leader or Supervisor |
| Director | Office of State Public Defender, State of Montana | Missoula | Montana | Fiscal, Administrative, Technology, Leader or Supervisor, Attorney, HR, Policy work, I am the Director of OPD and have served many roles at OPD |
| Public Defender | New Jersey Office of the Public Defender | Trenton | New Jersey | Leader or Supervisor |
| Assistant Public Defender (First Assistant Public Defender as of 2/1/24) | New Jersey Office of the Public Defender | Trenton | New Jersey | Administrative, Policy work, Attorney, Leader or Supervisor |
| Deputy Chief Public Defender | NM Law Offices of the Public Defender | Albuquerque | New Mexico | Policy work, Attorney, Fiscal, Leader or Supervisor, HR, Administrative, Technology, Statewide projects – workload study, 5 year plan, compensation, grants |
| Senior Research Associate | NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services | Albany | New York | Research |
| Managing Director | New York County Defender Services | New York | New York | Leader or Supervisor |
| Criminal Defense Representation Counsel | New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services | Albany | New York | Attorney |
| Assistant Counsel | NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services | Albany | New York | Attorney, Policy work |
| Supervising Attorney | New York County Defender Services (NYCDS) | New York | New York | Leader or Supervisor, Attorney |
| Public Defender | Dutchess County Public Defender’s Office | Poughkeepsie | New York | Leader or Supervisor, Attorney, Administrative |
| Public Defender | Broome County Public Defender’s Office | Binghamton | New York | Leader or Supervisor, Administrative |
| Chief Attorney | The Legal Aid Society | New York City | New York | Attorney |
| Executive Director | Brooklyn Defender Services | New York City | New York | Leader or Supervisor |
| Chief Public Defender | New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender | Santa Fe | NM | Leader or Supervisor |
| Deputy Chief Public Defender | New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender | Albuquerque | NM | Leader or Supervisor, Attorney |
| Criminal Court Supervisor | New York County Defender Services | New York | NY | Leader or Supervisor |
| Director of Training | New York County Defender Services | New York | NY | Leader or Supervisor, Attorney, Training Director |
| Deputy Director | Montgomery County Public Defender | Dayton | OH | Attorney, Investigator, Fiscal, Leader or Supervisor |
| Supervisory Assistant Federal Public Defender | Federal Public Defender’s Office Southern District of OH | Columbus | OH | Leader or Supervisor, Attorney |
| Ohio Public Defender | Office of the Ohio Public Defender | Columbus | Ohio | Leader or Supervisor |
| Director | Montgomery County Public Defender | Dayton | Ohio | Leader or Supervisor |
| Senior Deputy Defender | Oregon Public Defense Commission NW Trial Div | Portland | OR | Attorney, Policy work |
| General Counsel | Oregon Public Defense Commission | Salem | Oregon | Leader or Supervisor |
| Executive Director for Public Defenders of Marion Co. | The Public Defender of Marion County | Salem | Oregon | Leader or Supervisor, Policy work, Attorney, Administrative |
| Executive Director | Public Defender Association of PA | Philadelphia | PA | Administrative, Leader or Supervisor, Fiscal, Policy work |
| Executive Director | Texas Indigent Defense Commission | Austin | Texas | Attorney, Policy work, Leader or Supervisor, HR |
| Executive Director | Texas RioGrande Public Defender | San Antonio | TX | Administrative, Attorney, Leader or Supervisor |
| Mental Health and Mitigation Professional | Salt Lake Legal Defender Association (LDA) | Salt Lake City | Utah | Mitigation Specialist / Social Worker / Client Advocate, Refugee community leader. |
| Executive Director | Virginia Indigent Defense Commission VIDC | Richmond | Virginia | Leader or Supervisor |
| Chief Deputy Public Defender | WHatcom County Public Defender | Bellingham | WA | Leader or Supervisor |
| Trainer, Program Manager, Program Administrator | Washington State Office of Public Defense | Olympia | Washington | Training Director, Administrative, Attorney, Paralegal, Policy work, Leader or Supervisor |
| Trainer, Program Manager, Program Administrator | Washington State Office of Public Defense | Olympia | Washington | Training Director, Administrative, Attorney, Paralegal, Policy work, Leader or Supervisor |
| Trainer, Program Manager, Program Administrator | Washington State Office of Public Defense | Olympia | Washington | Training Director, Administrative, Attorney, Paralegal, Policy work, Leader or Supervisor |
| Client Services Specialist—Senior (mitigation) | Milwaukee Trial Office of the WI State Public Defender | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | Mitigation Specialist / Social Worker / Client Advocate |
The presentation will be done in the conference room at the Salt Lake City Public Defender Office .
The audience will be in a U shape facing the longer wall. You will be feet away from the front room. There is no stage. You will have a large monitor available to you for slides.
This image shows the portion of the room we will have the presentation however the chairs will be facing toward the longer wall to the right.
Why 5-8 minutes?
Our goal is to use these talks to generate discussion and ideas for the Open Space Session.
But, really, can I go over 8 minutes?
No. And remember: Shorter talks are not lesser talks. It may only take 5 minutes to make your point unforgettably. Like this one: Joe Smith: How to use a paper towel
Can my talk topic be a session of discussion in the Open Space?
Yes, please!
You can and are encouraged to then make the topic of you talk into one or more of the sessions in the Open Space. This will give you and our audience the opportunity to go much deeper into the topic to brainstorm and generate solutions to the intractable issues facing public defense.
Focus on Impact: Your goal is to provoke thought and discussion. Choose a topic that’s not just informative but also evokes an emotional or intellectual response.
Be Concise: With just 5-8 minutes, every second counts. Be sure you can fit all aspects of your talk into the timeframe without rushing.
Craft a Precise Script: Due to the concise timing and pace of Spark talks, scripting your speech can help ensure your message is clear and that your delivery aligns with the automatic slide transitions. Precision in wording is key.
Engage Your Audience: Start with a compelling story or question to grab attention. Consider what matters to your audience and how your topic affects them.
Embrace Storytelling: Engage your audience with a compelling story relevant to your presentation’s core message. A well-chosen narrative can make your talk more memorable and impactful.
Visuals and Aids: Use slides or visuals effectively. Visuals should be bold and straightforward to support your message and clarify information for your audience, not distract from your message.
End with a Bang: Conclude with a powerful call to action or a challenging question to spark discussion and reflection.
Feedback is Your Friend: If possible, present to a friend or colleague beforehand and ask for honest feedback, especially on clarity and engagement.
Introduction (1 minute): Start with a hook—a startling statistic, a compelling story, or a provocative question—to grab attention immediately.
Problem Statement (1-2 minutes): Clearly define the challenge you’re addressing. Explain why it’s relevant to your audience and the broader public defense community.
Your Proposition (2-3 minutes): Introduce your main ideas, solutions, or questions. Use data, experiences, or theoretical frameworks to support your propositions. Make it clear, concise, and compelling.
Impact and Benefits (1 minute): Discuss the potential impact of your ideas. How could they change practices, improve outcomes, or challenge existing paradigms?
Call to Action/Question (1 minute): End with a powerful call to action or a thought-provoking question. This should invite discussion, reflection, or action, setting the stage for the conversation to continue beyond your presentation.
Should I use slides?
Slides can be helpful for the audience, but they are by no means necessary or relevant to every talk. Ask yourself: Would my slides help and clarify information for the audience, or would they distract and confuse them? Some great examples of slides can be found in the talks by Dan Phillips, Jarrett Krosoczka and Rick Guidotti on TED.com.
The most important rule for slides:
Keep it simple. I’ve never made slides before.
Where do I start? Assess your own skill level. You can make great simple slides if you stick to photographic images, running edge-to-edge. If your slide ideas are more complex and involve type, consider working with a designer.
What goes in my slides?
• Images and photos: To help the audience remember a person, place or thing you mention, you might use images or photos. – People will understand that the images represent what you’re saying, so there is no need to verbally describe the images onscreen.
• Graphs and infographics – Keep graphs visually clear, even if the content is complex. Each graph should make only one point.
• No slide should support more than one point.
What should the slides look like?
• Use as little text as possible — if your audience is reading, they are not listening.
• Avoid using bullet points. Consider putting different points on different slides. How should the slides be formatted?
• Use the broadcast-safe zones in PowerPoint or Keynote. Don’t put any information or visuals in the far corners of your slides.
• Use font size 42 points or larger.
• Choose a common sans serif font (like Helvetica or Verdana) over a serif font (like Times)
We encourage you to rehearse multiple times to get used to the format and to be sure to manage the time restriction.
If you would like to do a virtual rehearsal before coming to Salt Lake City to get feedback, you can see up a time to meet with Jeff Sherr, NAPD’s Training Director at this booking link
As we get close to the event, we will be sending you more information about what time the space will be available for you to rehearse in before your presentation.
(in alphabetical order)