Elizabeth Wood-Bennett, Esq.

Elizabeth Wood-Bennett is the Assistant Training Director for Eastern Pennsylvania at the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania (PDAP). She co-directs PDAP’s Racial Justice Program and frequently presents on topics including implicit bias, most recently for the Pennsylvania Bar Association and Pennsylvania Bar Institute. She also plays a key role in expanding PDAP’s appellate resources, including development of the brief bank, support for the Appellate Reform Committee, and coordination of the annual Appellate Academy.

Elizabeth is a member of a statewide working group developing an educational juror video on implicit bias, and she also serves on the Criminal Justice Committee of the Pennsylvania Commission for Fairness & Justice as well as the PA Justice Alliance.

Before joining PDAP, Elizabeth was the Chief Defender in Columbia County, where she previously served as First Assistant. She is death penalty certified and has tried criminal cases as a Public Defender or conflict counsel in Columbia County since 2010. She also ran her own private practice. Elizabeth regularly serves as faculty at PDAP training, including the 2025 Leadership Conference and Bring Your Own Case: Advanced Cross.