NLADA Appellate Defender Training faculty comes from across the country, all of whom have extensive experience working on appeals.Our 2017 staff includes Supreme Court advocates and nationally recognized trainers. All of our faculty have a client based practice and excel as written and oral advocates. Make sure to register today to join us in New Orleans January 19-22, 2017.
Marla Zink: Marla represents clients with appeals in state and federal court. She has experience as a public defender and in corporate litigation after having clerked in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
David Loftis: David is the Attorney in Charge of Post Conviction and Forensic Litigation for the Legal Aid Society. He has previously directed the Legal Department for the Innocence Project. He has argued extensively in New York’s Courts of Appeal, appeared in the Eastern District of New York and filed dozens of amicus briefs, many of them in the United States Supreme Court.
Melinda Prendergraph: Is the state training director for Missouri. She spent many years working on appeals. She is a dedicated and thoughtful presenter who challenges lawyers to think creatively about their work.
Marla McCowan: Marla is the director of training for the Michigan Indigent Defense Commision. She worked for years as an appellate attorney before devoting her career to providing resources to other attorneys. She has appeared in the United States Supreme Court, has served as an adjunct professor in appellate law clinics and has authored numerous additions of Michigan’s Defender Habeas Book.
David Singleton: David is the Executive Director of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center. He has worked with the Legal Action Center for the Homeless, as a public defender in both New York and Washington DC and is a law school professor.
Marilena David-Martin: Marilena has extensive experience training appellate defenders. Marilena has also worked to investigate Detroit’s Crime Lab Unit and has focused on creating better re-entry opportunities for clients of Michigan’s State Appellate Office.
Colleen Marion: Colleen is a public defender in Wisconsin where she focuses upon state appeals. She has also worked with the University of Wisconsin’s Legal Assistance to Institutionalized Persons Project and with the California Appellate Project.
Beau Rudder: Beau is the training director for Mississippi’s Office of State Public Defender. He has been instrumental in bringing improved public defense to clients in Mississippi and across the country. He has been recognized as a “true public servant” dedicated to improved public defense and for his willingness to share his expertise with others.
Tina Olson: Tina is the Chief Appellate Counsel for the Office of the Public Defender in Wyoming. Tina is a skilled trainer with national experience training appellate defenders.
Prof. JaneAnne Murray: JaneAnne teaches at the University of Minnesota law school, where she specializes in criminal law and procedure. She is a human rights lawyer, having worked as an advisor for the U.N. High Commission for Human rights and a public defender, with both state and federal experience.
Edwin Burnette: Ed is the former vice president of NLADA and chief defender for Chicago’s Cook County Public Defender. Ed is an experienced appellate defender and a nationally recognized trainer.
Marsha Levick: Marsha is the Deputy Director and Chief Counsel of the Juvenile Law Center. Marsha is a tireless advocate for the rights of juveniles and has been central in litigating reduced culpability for youthful offenders. Marsha has a national practice and has appeared as counsel and amici in the Supreme Court.
Ryan Schiff: Ryan is the Director of Juvenile Appeals for Massachusetts’ Committee for Public Counsel Services. Ryan is regarded for his ability to train other lawyers and for his systemic litigation focused on issues affecting indigent clients of his office.
Nadia Seeratan: Nadia is a senior staff attorney and police advocate for the National Juvenile Defender Center. She works to build the capacity of the juvenile defense bar through national, state, and local advocacy and provides training and technical assistance to justice system stakeholders.
Amanda Powell: Amanda is a “warrior of justice” who focuses on appellate advocacy and juvenile rights. Amanda is a graduate of the Ohio Public Defender, where she has litigated hundreds of cases. She works with the National Juvenile Defender Center to improve the rights of juveniles.
Matthew Taylor: Matthew is an award-winning author, professional actor, storyteller and humorist has been entertaining audiences throughout the United States and internationally for the last twenty-five years. Matthew has a long history of coaching theater, storytelling, and the art of improvisation. He formed Persuasion through Narrative in 2010 to teach communication skills through the use of narrative and has quickly gained a strong reputation, especially within the legal profession and educational institutions.
Lisa Freeland: Lisa is the Federal Defender for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She has argued cases in the United States Supreme Court and speaks broadly on sentencing advocacy, appeals, ethics and criminal procedure. Her practice focuses on appeals and habeas corpus relief.
Vince Brunkow: Vince is a supervising appellate attorney for the Federal Defenders of San Diego Inc. Vince practices regularly in the 9th Circuit, with an active practice of federal appeals and habeas corpus cases.
Geoffrey Burkhart: Geoffrey is the project director at the American Bar Association, where he works to improve indigent criminal defense systems. He has worked as an appellate defender in Illinois and has teaching experience with Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Patel Paresh: Patel is a federal defender for the District of Maryland. Patel has United States Supreme Court experience. Patel is known for his success challenging criminal sentences and his extensive teaching experience.
Peter Goldberger: Peter is a Supreme Court specialist, with a national practice focusing on federal criminal cases and habeas corpus relief.
Stuart Lev: Stuart is a federal defender in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Stu is a career public defender…and proud of it! He has appeared in the Supreme Court and is a nationally recognized appellate trainer.
Travis Stearns: Travis is the director of this year's appellate defender training program. Travis is an advocate for the right to counsel for all disenfranchised persons. He has worked in public defense most of his career, currently with the Washington Appellate Project. Travis is also an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law, a member of the Washington State Supreme Court's Minority and Justice Commission and the Washington State Bar Association's Commission on Public Defense. He has been recognized for his pro bono work and his mentorship of law students and young lawyers.