NAPD 2024 Women's Virtual Conference: Full Schedule

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12:45pm EST

Opening Remarks

Thursday December 5, 2024 12:45pm - 1:00pm EST

Plenary

1:00pm EST

Slam Anderson: A Spoken Word Pioneer

Thursday December 5, 2024 1:00pm - 1:45pm EST

Speakers

Slam Anderson

Ambassador/Founding Member, Program Director, Unbelievably Resilient, Kitchen Table Literary Arts Center

Slam Anderson is the Outreach Director for The Kitchen Table Literary Arts Center, a nonprofit that specializes in building appreciation and sustained support for Black women and women of color literary artists. As a Spoken word artist and writer, Slam works in the community to promote literacy, self-empowerment, and LOVE. She has competed in regional and nati... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 1:00pm - 1:45pm EST

Plenary

1:45pm EST

Break

Thursday December 5, 2024 1:45pm - 2:00pm EST

Break

2:00pm EST

Empowering Women in Investigations: Promoting Safety while Ensuring Integrity

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Room H

This presentation was created to educate and empower female Attorneys and Investigative professionals when work takes them into the field and community. Many potentially dangerous situations can be mitigated by taking different proactive measures to plan ahead for such encounters. A myriad of safety topics and techniques will be discussed ranging from analyzing potential threats to self-defense, including how to teach oneself easy ways to practice hypervigilance and threat assessment. The goal of this presentation is for attendees to feel empowered, having learned tangible tools they can utilize to protect themselves and avoid placing themselves or their staff in the way of danger, which will lead to a stronger sense of preparedness and better investigative effort outcomes.

Speakers

Lindsay Wight

Criminal Investigator, Eaton County Public Defender's Office

Lindsay Wight is a Criminal Investigator for the Eaton County Public Defender's Office located in Charlotte, Michigan. Ms. Wight attended Graduate School at Grand Valley State University's School of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies before entering her professional career... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Room H

Breakout Sessions

2:00pm EST

Exploring the Needs and Experiences of Justice-Impacted Black Women and Girls

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Room I

This presentation will discuss the experiences and needs of justice-impacted Black women and girls and explore how an intersectional, gender-sensitive lens is critical to their defense. Black women and girls are disproportionately overrepresented among women and girls who are arrested and come in contact with the juvenile and criminal legal systems. Moreover, most of these women have long trauma histories and are survivors of sexual violence, including assault, abuse, and exploitation. Together, we will explore how race and gender bias construct unique vulnerabilities that heighten Black women's and girls' risk of criminalization and harsh punishment and how public defenders can more effectively address and support the needs of these clients.

Speakers

Dr. Sydney McKinney

National Black Women's Justice Instittue, Executive Director

Dr. McKinney is the executive director of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute (NBWJI), a Black women-led, national nonprofit working to end the systemic criminalization of Black women and girls. She is deeply committed to advancing rigorous research, policy, and technical... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Room I

Breakout Sessions

2:00pm EST

How Did We Get Here? Tools to Address Deficits in Defending Women

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Room F

This session, presented by a team of experts, who are survivors, advocates, criminal defense lawyers, and a mitigation specialist, centers on the power of stories, identifies the deficits, and shares practical tools to bridge the gender justice gaps. We will engage participants with the wisdom from lived expertise in fighting for criminalized women. We will share the Center’s research and insights on narrative deficits in defending women and provide participants with a series of practical gender justice tools for defense teams. We, at the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide, created these tools to be applied for a practical gender justice approach in a wide range of capital and non-capital cases. As survivors, advocates, and former public defenders at the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide, our work in narrative construction and intersectional gender justice is applicable to a wide range of cases – whether misdemeanors or felonies -- where women are criminalized. Our resources are free for the public defense community. We will complete our session with a closing round of reflections from our expert panel.

Speakers

Bahar Mirhosseni

Gender and Criminal Justice Fellow, UCLA Law School, Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide

BAHAR MIRHOSSENI teaches the Pretrial Justice Clinic at UCLA Law School and is the Gender and Criminal Justice Fellow at the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide. She consults with the National Association for Public Defense and has collaborated with human rights organizations... Read More →

Jhody Polk

Founder, Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative

Jhody Polk, d’Alchemist, is the founder of the Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative (JLI) housed at the Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at NYU School of Law and she is the founder of the Legal Empowerment & Advocacy Hub (LEAH). Jhody is a 2024 Global Freedom Fellow and an inaugural... Read More →

Dorian Bess

Program Development and Engagement Officer, The Social Justice Network

Dorian Bess brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as the Program Development and Engagement Officer of The Social Justice Network. With 18 years of lived experience within the Criminal Justice System, she has transformed her journey into a career dedicated to supporting... Read More →

Nathalie Greenfield

Attorney, Mitigation Specialist, and Consultant, Phillips Black

Nathalie Greenfield is an attorney and mitigation specialist at Phillips Black and a consultant at the Cornell Center on Death Penalty Worldwide. She has represented clients facing the death penalty across the US and in sub-Saharan Africa, and she also consults with the British-based nonprofit... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Room F

Breakout Sessions, Intersectionality and Connecting Our Stories

2:00pm EST

Let's Get Loud : Elevating the Voices of Women in the Carceral System

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Room E

In this session, we will talk about the unique unmet needs of women in the carceral system and explore model practices and our collective experiences in meeting these needs. Bring your anecdotes, challenges, and ideas. Incarcerated women are a minority at many of our local jails and are treated like an afterthought. How can we, as defenders, put the spotlight on our female clients' dignity, humanity, and courage and demand that jailers provide appropriate housing, programming, and physical, emotional, and mental care?

Speakers

Heather Rogers

Public Defender, Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender

Heather Rogers has been a public defender for nearly 20 years in the state and federal courts. Heather has handled cases at every stage of litigation, from arraignment through trial and appeal. She has represented clients accused of offenses from delinquency to homicide, defended... Read More →

Athena Reis

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Room E

Breakout Sessions, Professional Growth and Leadership

2:00pm EST

The Matriarchy & Mitigation of Black Women in Death Penalty Defense

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Room C

This session will focus on Black women's role, necessity, and burden in death penalty mitigation work. We will discuss the empathy, care, understanding in mitigation, presumption, trauma, and burden we should perpetually consider and nurture.

Speakers

Malikeya Khantrece

Mitigation Specialist/Investigator, Office of the Federal Public Defender, Pennsylvania

Malikeya Khantrece is a Mitigation Specialist/Investigator for the Federal Public Defender in the Capital Habeas Unit. She works on appeals to death penalty sentences for those convicted in capital cases. She has worked as a prisoner’s rights advocate, poverty law advocate, and... Read More →

Robyn Sanders

Attorney

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Room C

Breakout Sessions, Women in Racial Justice

2:00pm EST

Title In Development - Session on Professional Growth and Leadership

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Room B

A discussion of what we can do to be a great female leader and mentor in public defense. Many of us did not have such role models as we came up, and it is so important to do it right! This discussion will include leadership and mentorship (good v. bad, why, how to do it), the distinction of being female -- esp. in public defense, providing a safe, inclusive environment that offers true work/life balance, supporting physical and mental health needs so that our attorneys give the absolute best representation to our clients, growing a client-centered and holisitic office and balancing compassion with strength.

Speakers

Jennifer Lewis

Circuit Public Defender, Flint Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Room B

Breakout Sessions, Professional Growth and Leadership

2:00pm EST

Updated post 11/5/24 - Some Tools for Thriving in This Job Despite the Inherent Trauma of Public Defendering: Recognizing and Disrupting Our Shame-Trauma Response to the Effects of Vicarious Trauma and Moral Injury

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Room D

Revised and updated for 2024: We will discuss the trauma and stress public defender teams face, and their impact on us - especially amidst local and political forces hostile to and undermining of our mission statements. We will also discuss various coping techniques for our well-being toolkit so that we might thrive, not just survive in this job; from the perspective of a 30-year public defender who still loves coming to work every day.

Speakers

Katherine LeGeros BAJUK

Mental Health Attorney Specialist, Veterans Treatment Court Specialist, New York County Defender Services

Katherine LeGeros Bajuk, Esq. is the Mental Health and Veteran's Attorney Specialist for New York County Defender Services (NYCDS). A public defender in New York City representing indigent clients at all stages of the criminal process since 1994, her practice since 2015 has focused... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Room D

Breakout Sessions, Professional Growth and Leadership

2:00pm EST

What Bluey Can Teach Us About Leadership

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Room G

What can a talking cartoon dog teach us about how to be a good leader? Well, it turns out a lot actually. This session will cover how the best children's show ever made can give us tips on being growth focused and supportive leaders.

Speakers

Kristin Lavoy

Assistant Assigned Counsel Administrator, Wayne County Indigent Defense Services Department

Kristin LaVoy has spent her entire 16 year legal career in indigent defense. She is currently an assistant assigned counsel administrator in Wayne County where she provides and coordinates training for attorneys taking appointments in Wayne County. She previously served as the Training... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Room G

Breakout Sessions, Professional Growth and Leadership

3:00pm EST

Break

Thursday December 5, 2024 3:00pm - 3:15pm EST

Break

3:15pm EST

Head of the State

Thursday December 5, 2024 3:15pm - 4:15pm EST

This plenary session will delve into the unique challenges and opportunities facing women leaders in the field of public defense. With a focus on women who head state-wide public defender offices, the panelists will share their personal experiences, insights, and strategies for overcoming gender-specific obstacles. By bringing together a panel of accomplished women leaders in public defense, this session aims to provide valuable insights, inspire future generations of women attorneys, and foster a more inclusive and equitable legal profession.

Moderators

Heather Pinkney

Director, District of Columbia Public Defender Services

As the director of PDS, Heather N. Pinckney provides defense and related legal and non-legal services to people charged with crimes in the local District of Columbia courts who cannot afford to hire an attorney.Heather is an experienced litigator specializing in criminal defense... Read More →

Speakers

Elizabeth Miller

State Public Defender, Office of the Ohio Public Defender

Elizabeth Miller is the Director of the Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD). She has dedicated her legal career to ensuring the most vulnerable individuals in our society are afforded quality legal representation. Elizabeth first joined the OPD in 2004 and served as an Assistant... Read More →

Heather Cessna

Executive Director, Kansas State Board of Indigents' Defense Services

Heather Cessna has been the Executive Director of the Kansas State Board of Indigents' Defense Services since 2019. Prior to that, Ms. Cessna was a Deputy Appellate Defender, having worked in appellate public criminal defense in Kansas since 2003. Ms. Cessna has made revamping the... Read More →

Jennifer Sellitti

Director of Training and Communications, New Jersey Office of the Public Defender

Jennifer Sellitti is Director of Training & Communications for the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender (OPD), where she is responsible for teaching trial advocacy and substantive law to public defenders in all of the agency’s practice areas. She works at the direction of the... Read More →

Natasha Dartigue

Maryland State Public Defender, Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Natasha Dartigue began her appointment as the Maryland Public Defender on July 1, 2022. She has been with Office of the Public Defender (OPD) since 1996. During her tenure, Ms. Dartigue has represented clients in the juvenile, district and circuit court divisions of OPD’s Baltimore... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 3:15pm - 4:15pm EST

Plenary

4:15pm EST

Break

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:15pm - 4:30pm EST

Break

4:30pm EST

Breaking Barriers: Leading as a Female Public Defender in a Rural Justice System

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST

Room B

At this time, our office has 5 female attorneys and no male attorneys. While it is an exciting time, it comes with challenges. In dealing with judges, prosecutors, and even our clients we experience obstacles not shared by our male counterparts. This is particularly true in our rural, conservative area. In this presentation, we will discuss those challenges and how we overcome them in client meetings, in meetings with the prosecutors, and in the courtroom.

Speakers

Penny Hunter

Circuit Public Defender, Enotah Public Defender's Office

Penny Hunter is a graduate of North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, Georgia and a 2012 graduate of the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia. After law school she worked for Strickland, Chesnutt, and Lindsey in Winder, Georgia. In 2013, she was offered an... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
Room B

Breakout Sessions

4:30pm EST

Empowering Young Women: A Legal Sector Mentorship Initiative

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST

Room H

This session will propose a comprehensive mentorship program designed to empower young women across the country, with a specific focus on the legal sector. This initiative aims to address the critical need for positive role models and guidance in an era where societal pressures and social media often misdirect young women's focus and aspirations. We seek support from legal professionals, educators, and community leaders to bring this vital program to fruition.
By investing in our young women today, we are shaping a more equitable and just society for tomorrow.

Key Program Elements:

Legal Sector Exposure
Internship opportunities
Shadowing legal professionals
Interactive workshops on various legal career

Why It's Needed:

Lack of Positive Mentors: Many young women lack access to positive, professional female role models.
Social Media Influence: Increasing pressure to focus on superficial attributes rather than personal and professional growth.
Self-Esteem Challenges: Young women often struggle with self-esteem issues, impacting their career aspirations and life choices.
Limited Exposure: Many young women have limited exposure to diverse career paths, especially in the legal sector.

Speakers

Margarett Miller

Lead Paralegal, San Francisco Public Defender Office

Born and raised in San Francisco, I am the ninth of ten children in a family of entrepreneurs. Growing up in such a large, dynamic household presented its challenges, particularly in forging my own identity. However, it also instilled in me a resilience and adaptability that would... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
Room H

Breakout Sessions

4:30pm EST

Holistic Representation for Youth

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST

Room G

In this session, you'll learn how to build a comprehensive defense team for youth with no budget, through collaboration with community organizations and adults with lived experience.

Speakers

Lynda McGhee

Co-Executive Director, Michigan Children's Law Center

Lynda McGhee has been the Co-Executive Director of the Michigan Children's Law Center for 5 years. She has worked as a Youth Defense attorney for 25 years, with 15 of those years being with MCLC. Additionally, Lynda has extensive experience as a Trial Skills attorney in Michigan for... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
Room G

Breakout Sessions

4:30pm EST

Intersectional Perspectives in Immigrant Indigent Defense: Navigating the Legal System Through Cultural and Personal Lenses

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST

Room I

In an era where understanding the nuanced experiences of marginalized communities is crucial, Haydeh Takasugi and Graciela Martinez offer an insightful exploration into the intersectional experiences of immigrant indigent defenders. Their presentation will delve into how their immigrant backgrounds have profoundly shaped their perceptions and practices within the California criminal legal system.

Speakers

Haydeh Takasugi

Assistant Public Defender, Los Angeles County Public Defender

Haydeh Takasugi has been a Los Angeles County Public Defender since 1996. She spent most of her early career as a trial attorney in the Central District. In her various leadership roles within the office, she was the DIC in Eastlake Juvenile, Investigations, and trainer in both... Read More →

Graciela Martinez

Assistant Public Defender, Immigration and Civil Commitment Units, Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
Room I

Breakout Sessions

4:30pm EST

Managing Up

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST

Room C

Managing up ... what does it mean? Is this a corporate management buzzword or something you could actually use? Come learn the ins and outs of a framework to help develop a stronger interpersonal relationship between you, your boss, and your coworkers - including learning how to manage expectations on all sides.

Speakers

Theresa Edwards

Deputy Director of Policy and Administration, New Mexico Law Office of the Public Defender

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
Room C

Breakout Sessions

4:30pm EST

Pushing Past the Perfectionism’s Handcuffs to do Our Most Authentic Work

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST

Room F

Despite years of trial work, both Autumn and Amanda suffer from imposter syndrome. In this seminar, they will discuss how to combat perfectionism by embracing our “weaknesses” to connect with our clients and our work. There will be a writing exercise too.

Speakers

Amanda Lauer

Trial Attorney, Maricopa County Legal Defender's Office

Amanda is a trial attorney and has practiced in Arizona for over 20 years, the bulk of her practice was CPS cases. She has been doing criminal defense for about 18 months. Amanda has spoken locally and nationally on parental defense in CPS cases. In her free time, Amanda enjoys her... Read More →

Autumn Brandon

Trial Attorney, Maricopa County Office of the Legal Defender

Autumn Brandon is a trial attorney at the Maricopa County Office of the Legal Defender, located in Phoenix, Arizona. Autumn commenced her career in Detroit, MI, dedicating the first decade to refining her private criminal defense work expertise. Seeking new challenges and opportunities... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
Room F

Breakout Sessions

4:30pm EST

The CLBB NeuroLaw Library: Furthering Justice Reform through Accessible Neuroscience

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST

Room E

This presentation explores how neuroscience can aid in justice reform by debunking outdated beliefs about mental states that perpetuate the harsh sentencing of youth and young adults. The presentation will include information on criminal trajectories of adolescents, adolescent brain development, and how peers impact decision-making for youth, contributing to increases in impulsivity and risk-taking.

The presentation will also include a demonstration of The CLBB NeuroLaw Library (www.clbbneurolawlibrary), free online library with hundreds of journal articles and amicus briefs, educational videos, and toolkits for defense attorneys, prosecutors judges, policy makers, and people who are incarcerated. AI-powered adaptability allows for these materials to be accessible at various reading levels, catering to those with limited research time or lower education levels. The CLBB NeuroLaw Library seeks to leverage neuroscience to drive meaningful change. In a pilot, the state of Maine has made the Library available to every incarcerated individual in the state.

Speakers

Dr. Stephanie Tabashneck

Founding Director, , Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience, Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School

Dr. Stephanie Tabashneck is a forensic psychologist and attorney in Cambridge, MA. She is the director of a neurolaw library affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School. She is a Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience at the Center for Law, Brain... Read More →

Dr. Judith Edersheim, J.D.

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
Room E

Breakout Sessions

4:30pm EST

Under the Dome: Using Legislative Advocacy to Create Policy Change

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST

Room D

An important part of bringing about system change for our clients is to advocate in the Legislature and with the Governor's office. One way to do this is to have legislative committees within your PD office, meeting with Legislators, testify about relevant pending legislation, and develop draft legislation. As a woman, this can be intimidating as the legislature is still male-dominated and prosecutor-dominated. But, it is invigorating. I want to use my experience and SADO's experience in legislative advocacy to encourage women to use their voices in this way.

Speakers

Jessica Zimbelman

Managing Attorney, State Appellate Defender Office

Jessica Zimbelman is Managing Attorney with the State Appellate Defender Office, representing people statewide as they appeal their convictions and sentences. She has appeared before the Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court multiple times, as well as trial courts throughout... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
Room D

Breakout Sessions