Defending While Drowning: The Urgent Need for Self-Care in Public Defense Investigation

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 […]

Investigator Meetup for Supervisors – Work/Life balance

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 […]

Moving Beyond Yoga: Solutions for Improving Public Defenders’ Work Life and Effectiveness

By Alisa Smith, JD, Ph.D, Professor of Legal Studies, University of Central Florida A recent article drawing on the responses of a national sample of public defenders affiliated with the National Association for Public Defense supported prior research findings that public defenders […]

Spotlight on Wellness & Sustainability

Wellness in public defense is a professional requirement, not a luxury. Public defense work has evolved and, in the modern era, demands extraordinary individual commitment to providing holistic defense. However, sustainability requires shifting from individual responsibility to shared organizational responsibility. […]

The Defender Wellness Collective: Monthly Meetup for Public Defense Wellness

The Defender Wellness Collective is a monthly gathering designed to support public defenders and others in the public defense community in maintaining their well-being. This meetup provides a space for reflection, connection, and practical strategies to help mitigate burnout, manage […]