Leadership Development

Winter Leadership Summit registration is Open!

Registration for the Leadership Summit is available through November 21st, 2023. The Leadership Summit will be held at the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center located at 3405 Lenox Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30326. Your registration amount of $450.00 will include lunch, dinner, and access to the leadership conference.

You will be responsible for your lodging expenses and the cost of breakfast each day. The cost for nightly lodging at the Marriott Buckhead is $180/night including applicable tax and fees. If you plan to drive to the conference, you will also be responsible for the daily parking rate of $38.00 per vehicle for overnight guests.

Since many attendees will be traveling from outside of Atlanta, GA, we require a rapid results test within 48 hours of your planned arrival to Atlanta to ensure you do not travel with the virus. Results can be uploaded in the link that will be provided prior to your arrival.

Leadership Summit registration closes on November 21st, 2023, and space is limited, so don’t delay! You may pay via credit card or request an invoice during registration.  The Registration Link for the conference and Hotel Reservation Link is included here as well as in the Winter Leadership Summit Flyer.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected], should you have any questions.

Leadership Development

Every six months, for two days, Gideon’s Promise convenes leaders in indigent defense to work through leadership and management challenges as they share strategies for improving the delivery of service and standards of care. Both emerging and seasoned leaders gather to discuss organizational culture and client-centered leadership. Sessions focus on improving team performance, measuring success and utilizing cutting-edge tools. Check out our brochure, here.

Leadership Summit

Semi-Annual Leadership Summit

At the heart of the Leadership Development is the semi-annual Leadership Summit through which participating leaders meet every six months for two days in order to participate in leadership training, to work through leadership and management challenges, and to share strategies for improving the delivery of indigent defense services. These sessions are scheduled to coincide with the larger semi-annual Gideon’s Promise gatherings, which provide an opportunity for the entire community to gather twice a year. The Leadership Summit is a critical component of our effort to groom the next generation of public defender leaders. It provides the opportunity to partner with current leaders in the field to strategize about ways to overcome challenges their lawyers encounter as they apply the techniques and philosophies learned at Gideon’s Promise.

The sample discussion topics below are facilitated by our faculty and board members:

1. Organizational Culture and Indigent Defense
2. Client-Centered Leadership
3. Communication Skills: Getting Your Team Moving in the Same Direction
4. Gauging Success of a Public Defender Office
5. Applying Cutting Edge Leadership Tools to Public Defense Problem-Solving

About Us

A Change is Coming

We defend our most vulnerable communities from the effects of mass incarceration — keeping families together with dignity.

Our Mission

To transform the criminal justice system by building a movement of public defenders who provide equal justice for marginalized communities.

Our Vision 

We envision a nation where every person has access to zealous, outstanding representation necessary to ensure “equal justice for all” in the criminal justice arena.

Protecting This Promise

You don't have to be a public defender to protect the promise of zealous counsel for all. Your monthly contribution--no matter the amount--will directly impact the fate of a client accused of a crime, who didn't know they needed you.