2021 BPDA Summer Conference
Thank you to everyone who joined us on June 17-18, 2021 for the virtual BPDA Summer Conference. This event was our third conference and our second conference on a virtual platform. The annual BPDA Summer Conference provides Black public defenders, who identify with and are committed to the populations they serve, the opportunity to train, dialogue and network with each other. We hoped you enjoyed hearing from the nation’s leading voices on racial justice and defender leadership.
We also would like to thank every single person who helped make this conference a success: our expert panelists, board members, and staff worked tirelessly to bring you a conference tailor-made to the needs of Black defenders.
New for the 2021 conference, we launched 4 separate tracks: Emerging Leaders (for aspiring public defenders and law students), Skills Training, Policy Reform, and Professional Development.
Presenter: Kristin Henning, Blume Professor of Law & Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown Law, Washington DC
Some highlighted takeaways:
The physical and psychological trauma of constant police surveillance impacts how Black children form their sense of self under fear. It also has clear impacts on the physical and mental health of Black and brown communities.
When meeting new clients, defenders must remember that they have likely experienced racial trauma throughout their contact with the criminal legal system — maybe even with their previous defenders. It’s important to acknowledge this as you work with and advocate for them.
(not pictured: Monte Givhan)
Moderator: Stan Germán, Executive Director, New York County Defender Services, New York NY
Panelists:
- Derwyn Burton, Chief District Defender for Orleans Parish (New Orleans, LA)
- Michael Carter, Deputy Defender, Federal Community Defender Office (Detroit, MI)
- Sharone Mitchell Jr., Chief Defender, Cook County (Chicago, IL)
- Mercer (“Monte”) Givhan, Director of Training and Staff Development, Civilian Complaint Review Board (New York, NY)
Quotes from the session:
Michael Carter: A large part of this job is being a visionary. You don’t want to keep things status quo. Keep thinking outside of the box.
Derwyn Bunton: It showed our political community that public defenders are not powerless. I’ve learned that there are still spaces where we need to increase our influence.
Find more quotes in this Twitter thread!
Presenter: James Forman Jr., the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School
Quotes from the session:
Realize your power…Don’t ever stop talking. Don’t stop talking in court, the community or the media. Keep raising your voice and the voice of your clients because we need to hear you.
Nobody knows better the specific legal ways the system harms the community than the Black public defenders who are in the community and the courtroom.
