What’s New With PDAP

What's New With PDAP: The First-Ever Foundations of Public Defense Conference

December 2, 2025 – One of the most exciting parts of PDAP’s programming is the ability to connect with people all over the state who are new to public defense work. In-person conferences are a great opportunity to facilitate those connections. While training new-to-practice Public Defenders, PDAP’s staff and faculty also get to learn from their unique perspectives on the public defense world, all while connecting them to resources and professional support. In other words, the more new people come together, the better!

PDAP recently hosted its inaugural Foundations of Public Defense conference from November 12th through November 14th in Reading, PA. A total of 40 attorneys, investigators, social service staff, and mitigation specialists across 18 counties signed up for three busy days of plenary sessions, workshops, and panel discussions. This program was designed to cover the foundational skills, values, and team-based practices that make up holistic client representation, emphasizing the equally vital roles of each member of a public defense team.

“It was good to have a moment to reflect on my values. Things move so fast in practice that I don’t really get the time to take a step back.”

Participant, Foundations of Public Defense

In addition to plenary sessions on topics like case theory and client communication, the agenda also featured specialized breakout sessions for different roles. While attorneys went over preliminary hearing considerations in one room, investigators learned how to effectively canvass a crime scene and social service staff heard about the foundations of mitigation in other rooms. This structure allowed everyone to focus on building skills that would help them in their own roles, then come back together and understand how a holistic public defense team combines those skills to effectively fight for their clients. Through it all, PDAP’s staff and faculty encouraged participants to ask questions and voice their opinions, especially during group discussions and interactive panels with more experienced Public Defenders.

“Each presenter had valuable, insightful, and different perspectives on their own experiences.”

Participant, Foundations of Public Defense

“[As an attorney,] I feel I understand the roles of investigators and Social Workers much more now.”

Participant, Foundations of Public Defense

One major goal of PDAP’s in-person trainings is to bring a sense of community to a profession that may otherwise feel isolating, especially for Public Defenders from smaller offices or non-attorney Public Defenders with unique responsibilities. While participants came to the conference ready to pick up new skills, they also got to make new and lasting connections, made during group exercises, interactive discussions, breaks, and social events.

“I’m so glad I came to this conference. Being a new PD feels like I’m barely keeping my head above water, but after the past few days I have new skills, connections, and purpose.”

Participant, Foundations of Public Defense

To everyone who attended Foundations of Public Defense: thanks for putting all your time and energy into these three days of programming, and we hope to see you again soon!

To hear more from participants and faculty about what they got out of Foundations of Public Defense, as well as why trainings for Public Defenders are so important, check out the video below.

Our mission is to provide tools, strategies, mutual support, training and information to Public Defender Offices in Pennsylvania; to be the voice of public defense in Pennsylvania; and to promote best practices in the leadership, management, and administration of justice in Pennsylvania.