That's a wrap! A dispatch from PFJs Collaborative Defense Conference

Public defense has the power to transform lives, especially when defenders are equipped with the tools and support to secure meaningful outcomes beyond the courtroom. That was the theme of our 2025 Collaborative Defense Conference. 

Held in September, we welcomed supervisors, social service partners, and the largest cohort of Client Advocates yet. This was our largest confernece so far, with over 200 people attending. We hosted a variety of sessions and workshops that uplifted the transformative power of public defense, from building trust with youth clients and mitigating the impact of detention on children, to enhancing collaborative defense practice through community defense and engagement. 

“The conference was refreshing and invigorating. Spending the week with advocates from across the country facing similar issues was so helpful and has already made a difference in my practice, even in the last month," said Issis Haydel, a second-year Client Advocate working with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office. "Even though we are spread across the United States, this work is collaborative and transcends distance."

"When we can connect and workshop solutions, we're creating better outcomes for our clients."

The conference was a prime opportunity to strategize on the state of our work in 2025. Yet the energy in the room reflected an urgent awareness of the moment we're in. Public defender offices across the country are navigating the changing legal landscape, shrinking social services, and the return of tough-on-crime rhetoric and action. 

Alongside sessions, workshops, and an invigorating keynote address from PFJ board member, Chrisfino Kenyatta Leal, second-year Advocates were honored during our annual Stepping-Up Ceremony. The ceremony is a celebratory opprortunity to honor Advocates moving into the final year of their fellowship. Not only have these Advocates gone above and beyond in their work for their clients, but their involvement in many different sessions at the conference this year was inspiring.

Also at the conference, we had the pleasure of awarding the inaugural PFJ Champion Award to Andrew Strong, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the Public Safety Group in San Diego County, for his innovation and support of public defenders. PFJ launched the Champion Award to elevate public policy leaders who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to investing in public defense and equal justice.

Every year, this conference provides a generative space for Advocates, supervisors, and social service partners from across the country to strengthen ties and share ideas for transforming public defense. And, now, we need these spaces more than ever. Having shared strategies for navigating these roadblocks, and celebrated success stories from Advocate programs across the country, we left San Diego feeling energized and excited to take on the next challenge. 

“We should be connecting with each other more often and learning from each other’s strategies to best serve our clients and build support for public defense more broadly,” said Betsy Stukes, Assistant Chief of the Holistic Division. “We are all in this together.”