What options do public defenders have when their local ecosystem is unable to nourish them enough to do more than just survive?

Not every public defender has access to a long hallway of colleagues to consult about a case law question or an ethical dilemma. Not every public defender office has in-house social workers, or in-house investigators, or someone to turn to for peer support. Not every public defender office has access to a training division, or a single training coordinator, or even a training line item in the budget. Between workloads and budget cuts and an unjust justice system, MOST public defense professionals need supplementation for at least one thing or another.

When NAPD flourishes, public defenders nationally get opportunities to thrive. NAPD offers virtual and in-person training opportunities, instructor-led and on-demand online courses, CLE and CEU credits for attorneys and social workers, supportive meetup groups for various role types, listservs for networking and sharing information, a resource library and webinar archive, committee work and national advocacy and more to give public defenders all over this country a little more nourishment to grow beyond just surviving. And we keep our membership fees as LOW as possible to make these resources as ACCESSIBLE as possible to as MANY public defenders as possible.

Your additional support truly makes the difference in how many resources NAPD can offer—at what cost, with how many scholarships, and to how many public defenders. As you consider your end-of-year giving, please make a one-time or recurring donation to help us expand our training programs, increase support, grow scholarship opportunities, and strengthen this invaluable national community.

Unable to give right now? You can still make an impact by sharing and boosting this campaign so we can reach more supporters!

When NAPD Flourishes, Public Defenders Can Thrive