Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania (PDAP)

Last week, PDAP joined criminal defense attorneys from all over Pennsylvania at the annual PENNSYLVANIA ASSN. OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS conference. Our Assistant Training Director for Eastern PA Elizabeth Wood-Bennett and York County Chief Deputy Public Defender Catherine Law presented on Race, Implicit Bias, and Jury Instructions: Strategies for Fair Trials. PDs from the Defender Association of Philadelphia also led sessions on Ethical Considerations in Defense-Initiated Victim’s Family Outreach and Mastering Pennsylvania’s Rule 600. Thanks to everyone who showed up to engage and learn.

Mercer County Chief Public Defender Autumn L. Johnson, Esq. shares her experience with our 2025 PA Public Defender Career Day, a recruitment event for PD offices across the state developed alongside University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

PDAP’s appellate resources offer any Public Defender practicing appeals in PA a chance to learn about topics in their field, virtually moot their case, engage in interactive discussions with fellow practitioners across PA, and more. Special thanks to PDs Emily Merski and Brian McNeil for taking the time to speak with us about our appellate services - including our new brief bank, which is now available on the PDAP website. https://lnkd.in/etMfNTY8

On Wednesday, lawmakers and advocates gathered at the Pennsylvania state Capitol to demand more support from the state to adequately fund indigent defense. They were joined by Public Defenders from across PA, including PDAP Executive Director Sara Jacobson, Dauphin County Chief Defender Mary Klatt, private criminal defense attorney Kathryn Coviello-Cacciamani, Defender Association of Philadelphia Chief Defender Keisha Hudson, and Montgomery County Chief Defender Christine Pierce Lora. Our thanks to everyone who lent their voice to the cause.

Thank you to everyone who came to York last week for our first ever Sentencing Advocacy & Mitigation Writing Workshop! Participants heard plenaries on mitigation narrative development and evocative writing. In small groups, we then workshopped their mitigation reports and sentencing memos with our wonderful faculty - Gabriel Kalmuss-Katz, Malikeya Khantrece, Catherine Law, Kathryn Rowland, and Maura Ewing.

Last month, PDAP partnered with University of Pittsburgh School of Law to host our second annual PA Public Defender Career Day, a recruitment event that connects law students - many of them aspiring Public Defenders - to the county offices that need them.

Happy National Public Defense Day! Today we commemorate Gideon v. Wainwright, the landmark case that solidified the right to legal counsel for anyone accused of a crime. We also recognize the tireless efforts of Public Defenders across the state of Pennsylvania fighting for their clients.

Happy National Social Work Month! In public defense, social services help ensure the best possible future for our indigent clients and decrease their chances of recidivism. To PA Public Defender Social Workers and social service advocates - thank you for showing up for your clients every day. Your work matters. PDAP’s SWIM page offers social service and investigative resources, accessible to all Public Defender offices who may need them: https://lnkd.in/eA6wjBDT

Grateful for your vital contributions to our resources and unwavering dedication to public defense!

PDAP’s guide on How to Start a Public Defender Social Service Program is a useful tool for incoming social service advocates, more experienced advocates, and any Public Defender who wants to learn more about the role social service staff play in holistic, client-centered defense. Along with our newly released Investigator Basics Manual, a hard copy of this document will be sent to every Public Defender office in the state of PA. Thank you to the following Public Defenders who contributed to this manual: Alana Hook, MA., Montgomery County Public Defender Chief of Policy & Social Services; Jared Soto, Carbon County Public Defender Social Worker; Lauren Stoner, LCSW, Owner of Keystone Mitigation; Katie Wagner, Chester County Public Defender Client Assistance Coordinator; and Sarah Weir, York County Public Defender Social Service Advocate.