Strengthening the Sixth in Santa Cruz: Building Cases and Community Through Holistic Defense

The UC Santa Cruz Legal Studies Program, in partnership with the Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), and the National Association for Public Defense, will host its first-ever National Public Defense Summit. The summit will feature a variety of nationally-recognized public defenders, including attorneys, social workers, and investigators, who are doing cutting-edge work in public defense, focusing on early representation, vertical representation, holistic representation, and participatory defense. Students will have the opportunity to learn about career paths in this area of law.

The summit will kick off on the evening of Feb. 23 with Bending the Arc of Justice: Reimagining the Criminal System, featuring author and criminal justice reform advocate Keeda J. Haynes. The event is free, but separate registration is required.

Location: UCSC Stevenson Event Center

This is a free event.