20180621-170841-21

There were no virtual education or training activities during this reporting period. These activities will follow the progress of the web platform and the development and execution of in-person education and training events.

While no online training modules were launched during this reporting period, NLADA finalized a contract with a new website development and design partner, Sorcero. In partnership with Sorcero the initial framework of the website was developed and initial beta drafts of the first online training module were completed related to right to counsel messaging guidance.

NLADA worked on developing online learning modules during this period. Specifically, we are working with developers to design a learning module for the Right to Counsel online toolkit and a learning module to teach users about the Anatomy of the Sixth Amendment, which will be featured on the new website.

NLADA has continued our work developing online learning tools. During this reporting period the tools, which were in development during the previous reporting period, are now live on the Strengthen the Sixth website. These tools include the Right to Counsel online toolkit and a learning module to teach users about the Anatomy of the Sixth Amendment.

• NLADA has continued our work developing online learning tools. During this reporting period the tools that were in development during the previous reporting period, are now live on the Strengthen the Sixth website. These tools include the Right to Counsel online toolkit and a learning module to teach users about the Anatomy of the Sixth Amendment. A webinar on the Anatomy of the Sixth Amendment Exercise will launch in the next reporting period.
• During this reporting period a draft of a new online learning tool related to federal funding opportunities was submitted to the web developer. It is our intent that the tool be finalized and included online during the next reporting period.
• NLADA worked with the National Criminal Justice Association to plan a webinar for State Administering Agencies (SAAs) and defenders about accessing CESF resources and Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funds to support Sixth Amendment obligations. The webinar will air in July 2020.
• NLADA developed a practice tool for videoconferencing that will be provided to the field during the next reporting period. A webinar to train practitioners in use of this tool will be launched during the next reporting period.
• NLADA developed the curriculum for training all system stakeholders about the impact of remote communications and decision-making in the courts. A webinar will be launched in the next reporting period

NLADA has continued our work developing online learning tools. During this reporting period the tools that were in development during the previous reporting period, are now live on the Strengthen the Sixth website. These tools include the Right to Counsel online toolkit and a learning module to teach users about the Anatomy of the Sixth Amendment.

· During this reporting period a draft of a new online learning tool related to federal funding opportunities was submitted to the web developer. It is our intent that the tool be finalized and included online during the next reporting period.

· NLADA worked with the National Criminal Justice Association to present a webinar for State Administering Agencies (SAAs) and defenders about accessing CARES Act Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funds (CESF) resources and Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funds to support Sixth Amendment obligations. The webinar aired in July 2020 to an audience of more than 117 registered individuals.

· In August 2020, NLADA presented a webinar about use of the Anatomy of the Sixth Amendment learning module, which was developed as part of the strengthenthesixth.com website. The webinar featured use of the tool in the planning efforts of the Pima County, AZ criminal justice system. We had 32 registrants for the Pima County webinar.

· NLADA developed a practice tool for videoconferencing that will be provided to the field during the next reporting period. A webinar to train practitioners in use of this tool will be launched during the next reporting period.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, NLADA shifted all in-person education/training events from mid-March 2020 onward to a virtual setting. During this reporting period educational and training work has continued virtually, including convening meetings with our client, civil and defender councils to identify emerging training needs in the field. Focus has been on accessing federal supplemental support, and advocacy to protect client rights and quality representation through virtual mediums.

· As in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s annual Holistic Defense & Leadership Conferences were conducted in an entirely virtual setting. The virtual gatherings took place over the course of five days, on June 14-18, 2021. Three distinct conferences convened: the American Council of Chief Defenders Meeting (June 14), the Community-Oriented Defender Network Conference (June 15-16), and the Black Public Defender Association Conference (June 17-18). The focus of the conferences was on achieving race equity, understanding the role of public defense and commitment to practicing and policy development through an equity lens. Six plenary sessions across all three conferences and thirty-three workshops engaged attendees in discussion about ensuring access to quality representation, litigating race, listening to voices of lived experience, improving quality representation and access to counsel through deeper engagement with communities, supporting and promoting leadership from Black and Brown professionals on the front lines and at the policy tables. Participants were provided with tools for taking action to implement improvements in jurisdictions across the nation. The conferences attracted sizeable audiences: 43 attendees for the ACCD meeting, 213 for the COD Network Conference, and 185 for the BPDA Conference.

· The Smart Defense publication, Accessing Federal Grants, Foundation Funds and Other Supplemental Resources: A Toolkit for Public Defenders has been in development for adaptation to an online, on-demand training module. Completion of the training tool has been delayed due to the pandemic. Completion is expected to occur during the next reporting period.

· An additional on-demand training resource is currently in development to provide on-demand access to education regarding the importance of providing counsel at first appearance. This training will provide stakeholders across the justice system with insights about the consequences of not having counsel at first appearance, and the advantages across stakeholder agencies who make provision for defender agencies to access clients and provide representation at first appearance. Completion of this training tool will also occur during the next reporting period.