Arizona Public Defender Association (APDA)
The Arizona Public Defender Association (APDA) is a legal-aid society that works to train public defenders in Arizona. 1 The organization’s principal function is hosting an annual conference held in conjunction with Maricopa County, and nearly all its revenue comes from this event. 2 The conference is three days long, is typically attended by over 1,000 attorneys, and involves workshops covering criminal defense techniques in the courtroom and during case investigation. 3
Contents
APDA Conference
The Arizona Public Defender Association and the Maricopa County government annually run a conference for criminal defense attorneys. This conference takes place over three days with an average of ten courses covering topics such as jury selection, social-media investigation, search and seizure, and improvisation in the courtroom. It is attended by over 1,000 criminal defense attorneys, making it the largest conference of its type in the country. 3
Leadership
Dean Brault is president of the Arizona Public Defender Association and according to the organization’s tax returns, he earns no income and works approximately one hour a week for the group. 4 He earned his law degree in 1996 from the University of Arizona and worked as a law clerk and bailiff for the Pima County Superior Court in 1997. Brault continued working for the county and in August of 2015 he was appointed as the Pima County Legal Defender. In 2018 he was appointed as the Director of Public Defense Services for Pima County. 5
Brault is known for his opposition to a 2025 proposal which would have allowed law students that had only completed two semesters of criminal law classes to represent or prosecute criminal defendants in Arizona. Brault stated that his office would not hire program participants even if the proposal was approved because it would “exacerbate the perception that public defenders are less qualified than other lawyers.” 6
Xochitl Orozco is the vice president of the Arizona Public Defender Association and according to the organization’s tax documents she earns no income and works approximately one hour a week for the group. 4 She practiced as a trial attorney for over 16 years and is now employed by the Pima County Attorney’s Office as the Conviction Integrity Unit Supervisor. As supervisor, Orozco is responsible for handling re-investigations of cases that “present a credible claim of innocence of illegal sentencing.” 7
Gary Kula was the treasurer for the Arizona Public Defender Association and according to the organization’s tax documents he earned no income and worked approximately one hour a week for the group. 4 Gary Kula began his career as a trial attorney with the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office. In 1997 he was selected to be the Executive Director of the City of Phoenix Public Defender’s Office and held that position until his retirement in 2025. He was the recipient of the 2017 National Defender Investigator Association (NDIA) Award of Distinction for his efforts in educating and training investigators and attorneys in criminal defense. Kula was also the founder of the Arizona Public Defender Association’s criminal defense conference. 8
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $78,285 | $327,457 | $377,187 | View |
| 2024 | $128,015 | $337,812 | $349,242 | View |
| 2023 | $139,445 | $425,098 | $366,203 | View |
| 2021 | $190,766 | $59,716 | $67,712 | View |
| 2020 | $198,762 | $207,381 | $24,508 | View |
| 2019 | $15,889 | $219,599 | $318,611 | View |
Prior year filings: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010