The Education and Strategic Planning Branch is responsible for leading training and education efforts for the Department of Public Advocacy, including The Kentucky Public Defender College; Annual Conference; Online Educational Materials; and continuing trainings for attorneys, investigators, alternative sentencing workers, mitigation specialists, administrative assistants, and other members of the defense team.
The Kentucky Public Defender College is one of the top public defender training programs in the United States. The depth of our experience and expertise is apparent both in curriculum design and course delivery. Our faculty are among the best trainers in the profession.
DPA attorneys enjoy a full year of training which is part of the New Attorney Training Track. This consists of district court training, circuit court training, juvenile training and Faubush. Faubush for new attorneys is a week-long immersive training where each student is taught each component of a district court trial. Advanced training continues for all attorneys with the agency after the first year. This include in-depth trainings on various topics, and a yearly Annual Conference.
Training opportunities are also available for investigators, mitigation specialists, alternative sentencing workers and administrative professionals in the agency. The Investigator Track offered each year at Faubush is an intensive week-long experience that offers one of a kind hands-on experience for criminal investigators from across the nation.
The Education Branch also offers online educational materials to public defenders through the online database called The Trumpet. The Education Branch maintains and updates these materials regularly to ensure that all public defenders in Kentucky are provided with consistent and reliable law updates, and suggestions on how to approach changes in the law to best protect our clients.