National Alliance of Indigent Defense Educators (NAIDE) is a project of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) and a professional organization for trainers of government-provided defense attorneys. Both NAIDE and NLADA promote left-of-center diversity, equity, and education initiatives and training programs. The NAIDE and NLADA launched a joint “anti-racism training” program in with the goal of “tackling racism and prejudice in the courtroom.” The group is led by an internal executive committee comprised of NLADA members and is connected to other criminal defense related organization such as the National Criminal Defense College, the National Association for Public Defense, and the Bail Project. ^{1 2 3 4}

Background

National Alliance of Indigent Defense Educators (NAIDE) is operated by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA), an association of attorneys that promotes and provides training and resources to public defender offices. NLADA hosts annual conferences and training events and NAIDE acts as a training arm to provide training and resources for trainers and training programs for public defenders. The NAIDE hosts its annual meeting at the NLADA Annual Conference and has hosted training programs alongside NLADA since at least 2016. Another such organization that is housed within the NLADA along with the NAIDE is the National Organization of Client Advocates. ^{5 6}

NAIDE’s operations largely consist of training programs offered in conjunction with the NLADA and a listserv for members of NAIDE. The group’s membership is open to anyone working in the indigent defense system who is fully or partially responsible for training new hires. Participants in NAIDE range from directors of organization-wide programs or staff developing a one-time attorney training program. A longstanding training program operated by the NAIDE at NLADA conferences are its training-the-trainers sessions. The NAIDE also advises other NLADA sections, particularly the American Council of Chief Defenders. ⁷

Anti-Racism Trainings

In 2020, National Alliance of Indigent Defense Educators announced plans to deliver an “anti-racism training” program along with National Legal Aid and Defender Association. The training was announced as part of NAIDE’s statement regarding Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020. The organization stated that “We believe unambiguously that black lives matter. Police brutality must end. Our voices must be used to amplify the stories of black and brown people targeted and terrorized by the legal system every day.” ⁸

NAIDE stated that its future training programs would incorporate critical race theory-inspired ideology and themes regarding “anti-racism, implicit bias, and advocacy designed to dismantle white supremacy throughout the legal system.” It announced an inaugural six-week anti-racism training course in September and October of 2020. ⁹

The initial anti-racism training course was limited to 36 attendees and included topics such as defining “white fragility,” identifying “implicit biases,” and other topics including white supremacy and how it related to “Social Dominance Theory.” ^{10 11}

People

Several members of the leadership and executive committee of National Alliance of Indigent Defense Educators are guest faculty members of the National Criminal Defense College. Members of the executive committee include Michelle Bonner, who facilitates the group’s trainings and also has done work for the Equal Justice Initiative; Beau Rudder of The Bail Project; Gina Pruski from the Washington State Public Defender’s office; and Lori James-Townes, executive director of the National Association for Public Defense. ^{12 13 14 15 16}

1. “National Alliance of Indigent Defense Educators.” National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.nlada.org/naide
2. “Beau Rudder.” The Bail Project. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://bailproject.org/team/beau-rudder/
3. “Shawna Geiger.” National Criminal Defense College. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://ncdc.net/faculty/name/shawna-geiger/
4. “Lori James-Townes.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-james-townes-msw/
5. “2017 NLADA Annual Conference Schedule.” National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Accessed October 21, 2022.  https://2017nlada.sched.com/list/descriptions/
6. “About NLADA.” National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.nlada.org/about-nlada
7. “National Alliance of Indigent Defense Educators.” National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.nlada.org/naide
8. “National Alliance of Indigent Defense Educators.” National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.nlada.org/naide
9. “National Alliance of Indigent Defense Educators.” National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.nlada.org/naide
10. “National Alliance of Indigent Defense Educators.” National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.nlada.org/naide
11. “NLADA/NAIDE Anti-Racism Training.” National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.nlada.org/anti-racism-training-2020
12. “Michelle Bonner.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-bonner-dc/
13. “Lori James-Townes.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-james-townes-msw/
14. “Gina Pruski.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-pruski-72708915/
15. “Beau Rudder.” The Bail Project. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://bailproject.org/team/beau-rudder/
16. “Faculty.” National Criminal Defense College. Accessed October 21, 2022. https://ncdc.net/faculty/