Defender Impact Leadership
Who Should Attend?
Impact Leadership Seminars are designed for chiefs, deputies, and other high level
administrators of any type of defender program, including appointed counsel leaders. Indigent
defense reform advocates and members of community justice organizations are welcome. Participants are
strongly encouraged to attend as a team. Team participation substantially increases the likelihood that an
initiative will advance steadily and leadership skills will be reinforced when participants return to their
programs. Teams of two or three members will work together during the seminars and back at home to
further an initiative in their jurisdiction. Team members do not have to be lawyers and may be selected
from other management such as an investigative unit manager or social worker manager.
Bring an Impact Leadership Initiative to Work On
In advance of the conference, participants will submit a brief written description of a project or initiative
that they would like to pursue or are pursuing. During the conference, participants will have the
opportunity to discuss their initiatives, receiving individualized information and assistance from facilitators
and fellow conference attendees on how to make their initiative succeed. Each participant will leave
with an improved action plan, new connections, and the knowledge, skills, and tools to increase implementation
success.
Examples of projects or initiatives that could be the basis for an Impact Leadership project include:
Develop a community-outreach plan to address client reentry issues such as housing, mental
health, and employment needs.
Design a strategy to improve communication within your office or management team.
Establish a community advisory board for a public defense program or working partnership
with the local legal aid program to enhance client services.
Create a new training and evaluation program to improve client services and attorney performance.
Develop a community coalition to increase public support for the right to counsel.
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