law faculty
Faculty
Faculty
The Gideon’s Promise faculty is comprised of distinguished attorneys who donate their time and resources to mentor and instruct our community of public defenders in the integration of our values and curriculum. The Gideon’s Promise faculty consists of current and former public defenders who volunteer to teach Summer and Winter Training Institute(s), serve as mentors in our Core 101 Program, and as ambassadors for the organization in the legal, corporate, grantor, and non-profit communities.
Primary Faculty
We are fortunate to have great lawyers willing to donate their time and energy as teachers and mentors for our community. For that we are thankful as our faculty is our most valuable resource. Motivation to elevate the standard of representation for their clients At the heart of our effort to build a generation of public defenders to collectively transform the way our criminal justice system treats low income people accused of crimes is our Primary Faculty. While there are many training programs available to public defenders that teach various trial skills and recent developments in the law, Gideon’s Promise uses a model that also teaches values essential to public defense and strategies to resist systemic pressures to abandon those values. While training is essential to our mission, it is not an end. Our current faculty includes the following attorneys:
The Gideon's Promise Community
The Gideon’s Promise Faculty
The Gideon’s Promise faculty is comprised of distinguished attorneys who donate their time and resources to mentor and instruct our community of public defenders in the integration of our values and curriculum. The Gideon’s Promise faculty consists of current and former public defenders who volunteer to teach Summer and Winter Training Institute(s), serve as mentors in our Core 101 Program and as ambassadors for the organization in the legal, corporate, grantor and non-profit communities. **Directors of curriculum development
Jenny Andrews*
California
Faculty since 2014
Landon Antelman
Arizona
Alumni Class of 2014
Cathy Bennett*
Alaska
Faculty since 2008
Carmen Brooks
Colorado
Alumni Class of 2012
Mark Loudon-Brown
Georgia
Faculty since 2018
Samantha Buckingham
California
Faculty since 2012
Yasmin Cader
California
Faculty since 2018
Violeta Chapin*
Colorado
Faculty since 2010
Chris Flood
New York
Faculty since 2010
Melanie Foote*
Kentucky
Faculty since 2017
Devin Franklin
Georgia
Alumni Class of 2010
Patrice Fulcher*
Maryland
Faculty since 2007
Shawna Geiger
Colorado
Faculty since 2012
LaMer Kyle Griffiths
Oklahoma
Faculty since 2017
Patrick Hakes
Tennessee
Alumni Class of 2011
Jacinta Hall
Tennessee
Alumni Class of 2008
Brandi Harden
Washington D.C.
Faculty since 2007
Kenneth Hardin
Texas
Alumni Class of 2012
Atteeyah Hollie
Georgia
Alumni Class of 2010
Ray Ibarra
Kentucky
Alumni Class of 2011
David Klaus*
California
Faculty since 2018
Aisha McWeay
Oklahoma
Alumni Class of 2010
Sean Maher*
New York
Faculty since 2007
William Montross*
Washington D.C.
Faculty since 2009
Maisie Osteen
South Carolina
Alumni Class of 2014
Chanta’ Parker
Michigan
Alumni Class of 2008
David Patton*
New York
Faculty since 2008
Heather Pinckney
Washington D.C.
Faculty since 2007
Jennifer Sellitti
New Jersey
Faculty since 2017
Jeff Sherr
Kentucky
Faculty since 2007
Georgia Sims
Tennessee
Alumni Class of 2011
David Singleton
Ohio
Faculty since 2008
Lori James-Townes*
Maryland
Faculty since 2012
Collette Tvedt
Colorado
Faculty since 2015
Dehlia Umunna*
Massachusetts
Faculty since 2007
Andre Vitale
New York
Faculty since 2012
Sara Whitaker
West Virginia
Alumni Class of 2012
Glover Wright
Tennessee
Alumni Class of 2013
The Impact of Mass Incarceration
A boy from the bottom 10% of the income distribution is 20x more likely to end up in prison in his thirties than a boy from the top 10%.[1]
In 2019, the state of New York spent $18.2 billion on the carceral system, compared to just $6.2 billion on mental health services, public health, youth programs and services, elder services, and recreation.[2]
In 2019, the state of New York spent $18.2 billion on the carceral system, compared to just $6.2 billion on mental health services, public health, youth programs and services, elder services, and recreation.[2]
Faculty Training
Under the Gideon’s Promise model, training is one tool used to drive a transformation in public defense. Unlike many training programs that look for excellent trial lawyers to teach discreet topics, we ask our Primary Faculty to make a deep and long-standing commitment to our mission. The Faculty consists of a collection of current and former public defenders who volunteer to serve as teachers, mentors and as ambassadors for the organization. The Primary Faculty members commit to serve as a continuous presence dedicated to the development of the lawyers in our community and the organization as a whole. Because our theory of change involves nuturing our graduates to serve as trainers and mentors, the greatest influx of new Primary Faculty members comes from public defenders in our partner-offices who have been through our Core 101 Program and are currently members of our Graduate Program. However, we do occasionally invite new Primary Faculty to join us. But, due to both budgetary and logistical constraints, we are limited in the number of Primary Faculty we can support.
Testimonials
“Gideon’s Promise has changed my life. I have a renewed purpose. Purpose is an important thing. It’s the yellow brick road in your life.”
Brandon Ball
The Ball Law Firm, PLLC; Pearland, TX; Gideon’s Promise Class of 2013
Faculty Requirements
The following is a list of both requirements and considerations for trainers seeking to join our Primary Faculty:- All Primary Faculty are required to have worked as a public defender. This is to ensure that all Primary Faculty members bring an appreciation of the unique challenges that face public defenders, and experience in working to overcome these challenges.
- All Primary Faculty are required to have attended Track 1 and Track 2 of the Gideon’s Promise Trainer Development Program.
Additional Considerations:
When evaluating any request to invite a potential new member to join our Primary Faculty, in addition to the above requirements, we consider the following factors:
- Their connection to public defense in general.
- We give priority to those who currently serve as public defenders, as well as give consideration to the years of experience one has as a public defender. We want to ensure that all of our faculty help promote the message that public defense is for the most committed, most talented, and most compassionate defenders.
We give priority to those who have practiced in the jurisdictions where our lawyers practice. Priority is given to Gideon’s Promise graduates, as well as senior lawyers in Gideon’s Promise partner offices.
We give priority to those who demonstrate a strong commitment to, and a practice consistent with, the client-centered values that form the foundation of our model. - We give priority to those who have experience teaching and mentoring public defenders in one-on-one and small-group settings. We are looking for faculty members who can teach from the Gideon’s Promise curriculum and serve as part of a team that is committed to helping our lawyers internalize the values that underscore these goals through coaching and mentoring.
- We give priority to those who have experience teaching and mentoring public defenders in one-on-one and small-group settings. We are looking for faculty members who can teach from the Gideon’s Promise curriculum and serve as part of a team that is committed to helping our lawyers internalize the values that underscore these goals through coaching and mentoring.
- We give priority to those who have demonstrated a commitment to Gideon’s Promise through the support they have provided the organization and its lawyers in the past. Serving as an ambassador for this movement is expected of every Primary Faculty member. Above and beyond serving as teachers and mentors, we look to Primary Faculty to help with outreach and build support for our mission.
- We consider the ability of a Primary Faculty member to cover the cost of participating in Summer and/or Winter Training Institute. While we do cover expenses for most of our Primary Faculty, there are some members who are able to cover their own travel, lodging and meals. Because the greatest limitation on the number of faculty we can bring to our Training Institutes is budgetary, the ability to cover these expenses helps.
About Us
A Change is Coming
We defend our most vulnerable communities from the effects of mass incarceration -- keeping families together with dignity.
Our MissionTo transform the criminal justice system by building a movement of public defenders who provide equal justice for marginalized communities.
Our VisionWe 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.