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NAPD Leadership Institute Indianapolis 2025



Monday, April 14
 

8:45am EDT

Registration Table Open for Checking in
Monday April 14, 2025 8:45am - 10:00am EDT
NAPD Staff will be at the registration table just outside of the auditorium by 10am EST for you to sign in, pick up your nametag, etc. prior to opening remarks at 12:30 pm EST.

Please make sure you have completed the community guidelines and confidentiality agreement.
Monday April 14, 2025 8:45am - 10:00am EDT
Auditorium

10:00am EDT

Conference Welcome
Monday April 14, 2025 10:00am - 10:15am EDT
Speakers
avatar for Lori James

Lori James

Executive Director, National Association for Public Defense
Lori earned her master’s Degree in clinical social work (University of Maryland SSW) and her B.A. in Social Work from Morgan State University. Lori has over 25 years of clinical, training, and organizational development experience, which includes program development, program management... Read More →
avatar for Diane Black

Diane Black

Training Director, Indiana Public Defender Council, Indianapolis, IN
Diane Black is the Training Director for the Indiana Public Defender Council. As IPDC’s Training Director, Diane is focused on the development and implementation of high quality programming for defenders across the state.  This focus includes innovative regional training programs... Read More →
Monday April 14, 2025 10:00am - 10:15am EDT
Auditorium

10:15am EDT

Your Leadership Style and the Importance of Transformational Leadership
Monday April 14, 2025 10:15am - 11:30am EDT
  • The Role of Motivation and Inspiration
  • Key Elements required to increase engagement and performance
  • The power of modeling
  • Developing Credibility - Equity Theory
  • Being Proactive and Communicating Clear Expectations - (Dare to Lead, Brene Brown)
  • Effective leaders require more than basic skills to motivate their teams, especially when we have to tackle macro issues.
    In this session we review and discuss: 
    • How do we move our staff from good to great; demanding better performance?
    • What impact does the ability to inspire and motivate have on others?
    • How does it impact engagement? What if you don’t have it and have learned to lead by force?
    • Choosing to be Strategically Vulnerable
Speakers
avatar for Lori James

Lori James

Executive Director, National Association for Public Defense
Lori earned her master’s Degree in clinical social work (University of Maryland SSW) and her B.A. in Social Work from Morgan State University. Lori has over 25 years of clinical, training, and organizational development experience, which includes program development, program management... Read More →
Monday April 14, 2025 10:15am - 11:30am EDT
Auditorium

12:00pm EDT

Lunch on your own
Monday April 14, 2025 12:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Monday April 14, 2025 12:00pm - 1:15pm EDT

1:15pm EDT

Putting Defenders on an Equal Playing Field - NICE Sponsor Session
Monday April 14, 2025 1:15pm - 1:25pm EDT
  • Prosecution has been embracing digital transformation and rapidly acquiring new technology to manage discovery through the latest-generation DEMS
  • Defense now has an opportunity to modernize evidence management as well, or risk falling behind
  • Best practices for automating the collection of digital discovery from prosecution, and the right tools to best advocate for clients
Speakers
Monday April 14, 2025 1:15pm - 1:25pm EDT
Auditorium

1:30pm EDT

Understanding and Using the Four Frames
Monday April 14, 2025 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Detailed analysis of the case problem using the 4 Frames
  • Discuss each of the Four Frames and how to analyze problems and create solutions using them.
  • How to use multiple frame thinking.
  • How to choose which frame to use in analysis and problem-solving.

Speakers
avatar for Cathy Bennett

Cathy Bennett

Training Consultant, National Association for Public Defense
Cathleen (Cathy) 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... Read More →
Monday April 14, 2025 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Auditorium

2:30pm EDT

Building AI-Powered BodyCam Review for Public Defenders - Lessons from 70+ Agencies - Sponsor Session
Monday April 14, 2025 2:30pm - 2:40pm EDT
The average criminal case today includes hours of body-worn camera footage, interrogation videos, jail calls, and courtroom proceedings. Digital discovery can be an incredibly powerful tool for accountability, but it is not humanly possible to manually sift through all this data. JusticeText is changing that.
As the leading AI-powered body cam evidence management platform, we work with over 70 public defender offices, including entire statewide systems like Tennessee, CPCS in Massachusetts, Montana, and North Dakota, as well as major counties like Riverside and Houston. Our technology transcribes video in seconds, flags key case moments—like Miranda warnings and field sobriety tests—and simplifies exhibit creation and redactions. But tech alone isn’t enough.
In this session, we’ll share real-world insights from implementing AI at scale: how public defender offices are integrating these tools, overcoming barriers to adoption, and using technology to level the playing field for their clients. We’ll also introduce MirandaAI, a powerful assistant that builds case timelines, surfaces inconsistencies, and helps attorneys uncover critical facts—instantly. Join us to see how AI can transform your approach to digital evidence review, making your case prep smarter, faster, and more effective.
At JusticeText, our mission is simple: to build technology that empowers public defenders, amplifies advocacy, and ensures justice for all. Can’t wait until the session? Learn more about JusticeText, the UChicago school-project built specifically for public defenders here: https://justicetext.com/
Speakers
avatar for Jon Ervin

Jon Ervin

Chief of Staff, JusticeText
Jon Ervin is the Chief of Staff at JusticeText, a startup building AI-powered software to help defense attorneys save hours reviewing audio and video evidence. At JusticeText, he leads partnerships with public defender agencies to ensure the platform is tailored to their unique needs.An... Read More →
Monday April 14, 2025 2:30pm - 2:40pm EDT
Auditorium

2:45pm EDT

Building Leadership Impact Through Emotional Intelligence
Monday April 14, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
TBA
In this session designed for high-level managers, senior leaders, and executives we will explore the connection between the Four Frames and Emotional Intelligence, develop practical strategies for leveraging the Four Frames to enhance emotional intelligence, manage conflict, build trust, and foster collaboration. This session will enable participants to recognize and adapt their leadership style based on situational frame analysis.

Speakers
avatar for Cathy Bennett

Cathy Bennett

Training Consultant, National Association for Public Defense
Cathleen (Cathy) 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... Read More →
avatar for Lori James

Lori James

Executive Director, National Association for Public Defense
Lori earned her master’s Degree in clinical social work (University of Maryland SSW) and her B.A. in Social Work from Morgan State University. Lori has over 25 years of clinical, training, and organizational development experience, which includes program development, program management... Read More →
Monday April 14, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
TBA

2:45pm EDT

Leadership Transition: What You Need to Know to Succeed
Monday April 14, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
TBA
 In this session for new and middle managers, we will take stock of your position as a leader, identify areas for potential change, and set goals for your office and yourself.

Speakers
avatar for Georgia Sims

Georgia Sims

Deputy Public Defender, Nashville Defenders
Georgia Sims is a Nashville native. She received her undergraduate degree from Transylvania University, where she played volleyball. She attended Vanderbilt University Law School and served as executive director of the Vanderbilt Legal Aid Society and as an editor for the Vanderbilt... Read More →
Monday April 14, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
TBA

4:15pm EDT

Small group
Monday April 14, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm EDT
Monday April 14, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm EDT
Small Group Breakouts

5:00pm EDT

Facilitators Meeting
Monday April 14, 2025 5:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Monday April 14, 2025 5:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Conference Room A

7:00pm EDT

Optional: Meetup at High Velocity (Bar inside JW Marriott)
Monday April 14, 2025 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Monday April 14, 2025 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
High Velocity in JW Marriott 10 S West St, Indianapolis, IN 46204
 
Tuesday, April 15
 

9:00am EDT

Small group
Tuesday April 15, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
  • Scene painting public defense office
  • Introduce Leadership Challenge
Tuesday April 15, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Small Group Breakouts

10:45am EDT

Ctrl-F for Video: be smart in the face of hours and hours of audio-visual discovery - Sponsor Session
Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 10:55am EDT
Public defense workloads are increasing, with the huge influx of digital evidence—from body-worn camera footage to jail calls—making the review process incredibly time-consuming and burdensome. Yesterday’s tools are unfit for today’s challenges, and we will show you how Reduct offers you easy and efficient ways to find and review critical evidence, and extract and present it as persuasive exhibits at trial. Join us to learn how AI-based tools can now help public defense teams grapple with this reality - and save time, collaborate more efficiently, and achieve better case outcomes.
Speakers
avatar for Stephanie Wong

Stephanie Wong

Stephanie Wong received her bachelor's in mathematics from MIT, where she worked in MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) concentrating on search algorithms and automated mapping. After postgraduate studies in statistics and machine learning, her work... Read More →
Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 10:55am EDT
Auditorium

11:00am EDT

The Art of Difficult Conversations: Using Lessons Learned and Tools to Achieve Shared Outcomes
Tuesday April 15, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
As leaders, it’s our responsibility and charge to ensure we’re taking care of and helping to empower the most important asset in our organizations – our people. One of the biggest challenges I hear from “titled” leaders and team members is that they don’t want or know how to have difficult conversations, even though we know that not having them is impacting our culture and representation. In this session, we’ll explore how to overcome our fears and (hopefully) learn to embrace the discomfort that comes with having these necessary conversations.  I’ll share lessons learned from mistakes I’ve made as well as offer some books, tools, and tips that help to create safe spaces where we can have, and learn to appreciate difficult conversations.
Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Miller

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 →
Tuesday April 15, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Auditorium

12:00pm EDT

Lunch (on your own)
Tuesday April 15, 2025 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
Tuesday April 15, 2025 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT

1:30pm EDT

3:30pm EDT

Sponsor Session
Tuesday April 15, 2025 3:30pm - 3:40pm EDT
Tuesday April 15, 2025 3:30pm - 3:40pm EDT

3:45pm EDT

Trauma Informed Leadership: Emphasizing Resilience and Strength
Tuesday April 15, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm EDT
Speakers
avatar for Lori James

Lori James

Executive Director, National Association for Public Defense
Lori earned her master’s Degree in clinical social work (University of Maryland SSW) and her B.A. in Social Work from Morgan State University. Lori has over 25 years of clinical, training, and organizational development experience, which includes program development, program management... Read More →
Tuesday April 15, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm EDT
Auditorium
 
Wednesday, April 16
 

9:00am EDT

Talent Development: Building Strong Relationships Across Generations
Wednesday April 16, 2025 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
In this session, we'll focus on how successful leaders engage with and inspire their team members. 
Speakers
avatar for Stan Hickman

Stan Hickman

Training Supervisor, New York County Defender Services
Stanford Hickman is a criminal defense attorney currently based in New York City. A Howard University School of Law Graduate, he began his career as a staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society in Queens New York, and progressed to a senior trial attorney with New York County Defender... Read More →
Wednesday April 16, 2025 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
Auditorium

10:30am EDT

Small group
Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT


Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Small Group Breakouts

12:00pm EDT

Lunch (on your own)
Wednesday April 16, 2025 12:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Wednesday April 16, 2025 12:00pm - 1:15pm EDT

1:15pm EDT

Journal Tech - Sponsor Session
Wednesday April 16, 2025 1:15pm - 1:25pm EDT
Speakers
avatar for Heidi Henry

Heidi Henry

Technical Sales Director, Journal Technologies
Wednesday April 16, 2025 1:15pm - 1:25pm EDT
Auditorium

1:30pm EDT

Sustaining the Defenders: Leadership Strategies for a Thriving Team
Wednesday April 16, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
Public defense leaders play a crucial role in shaping a work environment that supports their team’s longevity and excellence. This session will explore practical strategies to prevent burnout, foster resilience, and create a culture where defenders feel valued, supported, and committed to the work for the long haul. Participants will leave with actionable steps to strengthen their office’s well-being and sustainability, ensuring both staff retention and high-quality advocacy.  NAPD Ten Principles for Creating Sustainability in Public Defense

Speakers
avatar for Marilena David

Marilena David

Acting Director, State Appellate Defender Office
Marilena David is the Acting Director at the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office and concurrently serves as Deputy Director, Training Director, and Project Reentry Manager. Marilena represents individuals on appeal of their felony convictions and individuals who are being resentenced... Read More →
Wednesday April 16, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
Auditorium

2:45pm EDT

Small group
Wednesday April 16, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
  • Practice conversations that may be involved in working on leadership challenge
Wednesday April 16, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Small Group Breakouts

4:00pm EDT

Data Chaos to Courtroom Clarity: TrialKit’s AI-Powered Platform for Defense Attorneys- Sponsor Session
Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
The challenges of handling vast amounts of discovery—spanning documents, audio, video, and images—can be overwhelming. This presentation will showcase how TrialKit leverages AI to streamline discovery review and case preparation.

The live demo will highlight how TrialKit’s tools simplify discovery and trial preparation, including:
  • Automatically organizing discovery materials with transcription, entity extraction, and object detection.
  • Enabling natural language search to locate evidence effortlessly, whether it’s buried in text, audio, video, or images.
  • Helping attorneys tag key facts, build fact and witness charts, and link directly to relevant media clips for seamless trial preparation.
  • Facilitating collaboration with teammates by assigning tasks and sharing insights directly within the platform.
Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT

4:15pm EDT

Engaging the Community and Leading from all Angles
Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Speakers
avatar for James McDermott

James McDermott

Chief Public Defender, Far West Texas Regional Public Defender
James Gerard McDermott lives in Alpine, TX with his four dogs . He is the foundingChief Public Defender of the Far West Texas Regional Public Defender. The programcovers five counties in Big Bend country, about 20,000 square miles—almost twicethe size of Maryland—with a population... Read More →
avatar for Heather Cessna

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 →
avatar for David Davila

David Davila

DAVID DAVILA is the Chief Investigator for the Federal Public Defender, Western District of Texas. He began his career with the FPD WD of Texas in June of 1989. He has handled a wide variety of complex cases including, white collar fraud, drug, RICO, immigration, bank robbery, counterfeiting... Read More →
Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Auditorium

5:15pm EDT

Facilitators Meeting
Wednesday April 16, 2025 5:15pm - 5:30pm EDT
Wednesday April 16, 2025 5:15pm - 5:30pm EDT
Conference Room A
 
Thursday, April 17
 

9:15am EDT

Leading Monday and Beyond
Thursday April 17, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am EDT


Speakers
avatar for Terri Green

Terri Green

Director of Social Work, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Terri Collins-Green, LCSW-C is the Director of Social Work for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender (MOPD).   Mrs. Collins-Green has been with MOPD for over ten years.   She began as a staff social worker in the Baltimore County MOPD office, was promoted to Regional Social... Read More →
Thursday April 17, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am EDT
Auditorium

10:30am EDT

Small group
Thursday April 17, 2025 10:30am - 11:45am EDT
  • Action plans for going forward
Thursday April 17, 2025 10:30am - 11:45am EDT
Small Group Breakouts

12:00pm EDT

Ignite Your Goals
Thursday April 17, 2025 12:00pm - 12:30pm EDT
Speakers
avatar for Pam Love

Pam Love

President, DP Love Enterprises
“Dr. Pam Love” is the founder of the Finishers Network, an inspirational speaker and has extensive training and leadership consulting experience. Pam has coached and conducted workshops nationally and internationally, has taught for a number of universities including the University... Read More →
Thursday April 17, 2025 12:00pm - 12:30pm EDT

12:30pm EDT

Closing
Thursday April 17, 2025 12:30pm - 12:45pm EDT
Discussion of what we have learned and where do we go from here.  

Thursday April 17, 2025 12:30pm - 12:45pm EDT
Auditorium
 
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