NY STATEWIDE PUBLIC DEFENSE TRAINING CALENDAR
Breaking News
State of the State: 10 takeaways from Andrew Cuomo's 2020 address, Democrat & Chronicle, January 8, 2020
Churchill: Bail reform always existed for the rich, Times Union, January 4, 2020
Not in our name: Don't use anti-Semitic attacks as a rationale for rewriting bail reform, New York Daily News, January 8, 2020
Commentary: New bail reform laws make New York State a safer place, Times Union, January 8, 2020
NYSDA UPDATES
With 2019 CLE Calendar Ending Soon, 2020 Planning is Underway NYSDA's well-received continuing legal education (CLE) programs in November and December included: training on the reform legislation enacted this year (held in the Capital District and Onondaga County); skills trainings (voir dire, held in Washington County; and session 1 of the family court practical skills trainer, held in Westchester County, which included a presentation by Aisha Alleyne of Brooklyn Defender Service, pictured); felony sentencing (held in Ontario County); and a federal defense training on Dec. 10, 2019 (held in Albany). Staff at the Backup Center are now working to create NYSDA's 2020 training schedule to bring high quality, relevant, affordable training to public defense lawyers across New York State.
For upcoming training programs, both NYSDA's and others', see the NY Statewide Public Defense Training Calendar.
Family Defense Resources from the Public Defense Backup Center NYSDA is working hard to improve the quality of mandated family defense. Our family court staff attorney Kimberly Bode is available to provide support and resources to all family court defenders in New York State. In addition to conducting regional trainings and at individual offices upon request, NYSDA provides “back up” services to defenders (research assistance, advice regarding specific legal issues, expert referrals, etc.). If you have an family court related concerns, Kim can be reached by email at Kbode@NYSDA.org or by phone at (518) 465-3524 ext.24.
Improving the Quality and Scope of Family Defense NYSDA works in a variety of ways to improve public defense services for parents and other litigants who have a right to counsel in family matters. Most recently, public defense programs (defender and legal aid offices and assigned counsel programs) sent representatives to a NYSDA-hosted Convening in Albany on Oct. 3, 2019, to discuss what is needed to improve their ability to provide quality representation in Family Court. Earlier, in August, NYSDA presented testimony at the last of four ILS “Public Hearings on Financial Eligibility for Assignment of Counsel in Family Matters” announced in May. Written testimony is here, and video of oral testimony by Executive Director Susan C. Bryant and Family Court Staff Attorney Kimberley Bode is here (beginning at 47:13).
VDP: Improving the Representation of Military Veterans The Association's Veterans Defense Program (VDP) works with public defense lawyers and others to improve the quality of representation and outcomes experienced by military personnel and veterans in criminal and family courts across New York State. Recent additions to the VDP staff include Deputy Director Roy M. Diehl and Case Manager Juan Sosa, as noted in the most recent issue of the Backup Center REPORT (see p. 8). Roy is "stationed" at the Backup Center in Albany (518-465-3524), while Juan joins others in the Long Island VDP office at Touro Law School (631-650-2331). VDP's Director, Gary Horton, along with other VDP staff, can be reached at VDP's Batavia office (585-219-4862).
