Holistic Defense & Leadership Conferences

Conference
Tuesday, June 13 - Friday, June 16
Baltimore, MD

Holistic Defense Conference: Reckoning with Gideon @60 

This event brings together the Community Oriented Defender Network, the Black Public Defender Association, the American Council of Chief Defenders, and the National Association for Sentencing and Mitigation Specialists for three and a half days of innovative programming and workshops devoted to holistic, client centered advocacy.    

NASAMS will hold its Mitigation Certificate Program in conjunction with the 2023 Holistic Defense Conference. This program will provide participants with training from nationally recognized experts in the field.  In addition, participants will receive sample materials, organizational tools, sample reports and E-tools to assist with their practice. This is an intensive training offered to beginners or professionals who want to innovate their mitigation skills. Participants will also have access to COD and BPDA workshops being held on Thursday morning. (Wednesday at 9am until Friday at noon) 

BPDA will host incredible workshops as well as a space for Black public defenders, who identify with and are committed to the populations they serve, gather and use the opportunity to train, dialogue and network with each other. (Thursday and Friday) 

COD: the Community Oriented Defender Network will host a series of networking and training opportunities for community-oriented defenders, exploring community-based holistic defense programs and national advocacy.  (Thursday and Friday) 

 The ACCD pre-conference event will offer chief public defenders the chance to discuss new issues facing public defenders nationwide and exchange ideas on effective approaches to public defense leadership.  Stay for the Holistic Conference Thursday and Friday to attend incredible leadership and DEI workshops. There is also an opportunity to participate in the public defense recruitment event to be hosted on Friday afternoon after the conference!  (Tuesday and Wednesday) 

NEW THIS YEAR!! Recruitment Fair, Friday 1-5pm ET 

Are you looking for students or professionals with a passion for racial justice, and are interested in fighting against legal systems that are stripping our clients of their humanity?  This year the Holistic Defense Conference will have a recruiting event to help our members find like-minded individuals that could be future leaders in their organization.  Home to over a dozen universities/colleges/law schools, including two of this nation’s six HBCU Law Schools, the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) area is full of people looking for careers that make a difference.  Sign up now to have the opportunity to meet or interview this pool of applicants after you’ve attended the conference.  You care and will already be here.  They care, and they will be here.  Why not meet them?  Sign up

Conference Overview  Registration  Travel and Accommodations  HDLC Schedule    HDLC Agenda  

COVID Policy 

NLADA takes the health and safety of our members, guests, and staff seriously. Whether to attend a meeting is based on various personal and business considerations. We will continue to monitor multiple sources, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. state and local health authorities, for the latest public health updates and applicable restrictions on events and gatherings. NLADA plans to hold this meeting in person but reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event or convert it to a virtual event if health and safety restrictions require it.  We will update the registrants and the website should the plans for this event change.  

As part of the registration process to hold this NLADA meeting in person, every attendee is required to affirm his/her commitment to comply with the in-person meeting guidelines.  Please review the requirements carefully prior to registering for the meeting. You will be asked to accept the following affirmations through this online form

  • If I register for and attend the meeting in person, I affirm that I am up to date on my COVID vaccinations, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) or have taken a negative COVID test within 3 days of my arrival at the meeting.  

  • If I bring a guest to the in-person meeting, including minors under the age of 18, I understand that my guest must affirm full vaccination or negative COVID test taken within 3 days of the guest’s arrival at the meeting. 

  • By registering for and attending the meeting in person, I affirm that I will comply with all CDC, federal, state, local, and venue-specific laws, orders, directives, and guidelines related to COVID appropriate to my particular health status.  I affirm that I will follow any more stringent state, local, or venue requirements related to hand sanitation, social distancing, and use of face coverings in place at the location of the meeting. 

  • If I attend the meeting in person, I will also follow all travel restrictions in place at the location of the meeting and my point of origin at the time of the meeting. 

  • I will not attend the meeting in person if, within the last ten (10) full days of the meeting, I have tested positive for COVID, am experiencing symptoms of COVID, or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID. If at any time during the meeting I begin to experience symptoms of COVID, or am in contact with someone experiencing symptoms, I will immediately leave the meeting and inform NLADA. If I test positive for COVID within 10 days after the meeting, I will inform NLADA. The requirements in this affirmation also apply to any guest(s) or minor(s) attending the meeting with me. 

  • If I attend the meeting in person, I understand that my guests, including minors under the age of 18, and I may be required to complete health screening questions after arrival at the meeting to access NLADA meeting and event spaces.  

 

Conference Overview  Registration  Travel and Accommodations  HDLC Schedule   HDLC Agenda