Byron Conway- He is the Executive Director of the Federal Defender for the Middle District of Georgia, taught at numerous trials skills programs, lectured for NACDL programs and is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College.
Callie Steele- Callie practices at the Santa Barbara County Office, she was formerly a senior litigator at the Federal Defender in the Central District of California and is on the National Criminal Defense College Faculty.
Calvin Malone is retired from the Wisconsin State Public Defender and also practiced with Federal Defenders Service of Wisconsin. He is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College and has taught at the Wisconsin trial skills academy.
Christopher Manberg- Chris Manberg is LDA’s Justice Court team leader. He joined LDA in 2021. Chris graduated from Arizona State University College of Law. He then practiced indigent defense as a deputy public defender at the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office in Phoenix, Arizona, where he defended felony cases. In 2016, he was awarded the distinction of “Public Defender of the Year,” and in 2017 he helped establish the Sex Crimes Litigation Unit at that office. In 2019, Chris moved to Seattle, Washington to work for the King County Public Defender’s Office, where he carried a complex felony caseload. Chris is recognized nationally as an expert in the defense of cases involving issues in pediatric forensic medicine. He frequently consults with attorneys from around the country on such cases, and he has taught CLEs on these issues in several states.
Deja Vishny is a consultant and trainer from Milwaukee WI after practicing at the Wisconsin Public Defender. She is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College and has spoken at many CLE programs around the country including those sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and is the author of Suppressing Criminal Evidence. Deja is also Co- Director of the Mountain Trial Skills Program.
Gabriel Bombara. Gabe is with the El Paso TX Public Defender office. He is on the faculty at Gideon’s Promise and also taught for the National Association of Public Defenders.
Joshua Hargrove- is a managing partner at Tracy Wood & Associates in Madison WI. He has taught at the Wisconsin Trial Skills program, lectured for NACDL programs and visiting faculty at the National Criminal Defense College.
Julia Murray is the training director at the Las Vegas NV Public Defender office. Julia is also Co-Director of the Mountain Trial Skills Program.
Juval Scott is the Executive Director at Bronx Defenders NY. She previously was the Federal Defender in the Western District of Virginia, worked at the Federal Defender Training Branch in Washington DC and practiced with the Federal Defender offices in Indianapolis IN and Milwaukee WI. She is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College and has spoken at many CLE programs around the country including those sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Kayla Riley( Formally Mahoney)- is a felony trial attorney at the Salt Lake Legal Defenders. Kayla Riley is local faculty for Mountain Trial Skills for the third year. Originally from Colorado and living all around the Mountain West (Arizona, Texas, Montana, and Oregon), Utah is presently home.
Kelli Childress- Kelli is the executive director at the El Paso TX Public Defender office and former was the chief at the Kane Co IL Public Defender office. She is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College and has spoken at many CLE programs around the country including those sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Kevann Gardner is in private practice in Washington DC after practicing at the Washington DC Public Defender Service. He is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College.
Leslie McNair Jackson- she is the head of the Camden NJ public defender office, has taught at the New Jersey and Wisconsin Trial Skills programs and is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College.
Marilyn Bednarski, Los Angeles CA- is a partner at McLane Bednarski and Litt LLP in Los Angeles where she practices both criminal defense and civil rights litigation. She is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College and has taught at many trial practice and criminal defense programs around the county. She previously practiced at the Federal Defender office for the Central District of California.
Robert Pepin is retired from the Federal Defender office in Denver Colorado and on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College. He has presented at seminars sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Additional Faculty Include:
Amy Smith-Idaho State Public Defender, Elmore County Office
Buddy Rutzke- Montana State Public Defender
Elizabeth Holmes – New Mexico State Public Defender
Jacob Sommer- Churchill Co NV Public Defender
Joan Burbridge – Montana State Public Defender
Joseph Goodnight- Reno NV Public Defender
Katelyn Cantu- Reno Alternative Public Defender office
Nancy Black- Salt Lake Legal Defender Association
Travis Finck- Chief of the North Dakota Public Defender