NLADA Selected as Training and Technical Assistance Provider for Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Sixth Amendment National Initiatives Solicitation

NLADA Selected as Training and Technical Assistance Provider for Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Sixth Amendment National Initiatives Solicitation

The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is pleased to announce our selection as training and technical assistance provider for the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance’s solicitation, FY2017 BJA National Initiatives – Adjudications: Training and Technical Assistance to Support the Protection of Constitutional Rights Under the Sixth Amendment. The key objective of this initiative is to improve the understanding and the quality of public defense delivery services and practices that will support upholding the Sixth Amendment.

NLADA has been awarded one of two grants issued under Category II of the solicitation. This grant has the goal of assisting and building capacity of state and local governments, including defender systems, to support the adoption and implementation of targeted strategies to enhance the Sixth Amendment right to counsel as well as creating a platform to disseminate materials and practices around securing Sixth Amendment rights.

In addition, NLADA will serve as a supportive partner to the Center for Court Innovation (CCI), the winning recipient of the Category I grant to “deliver strategic planning services to state and local governments, including their agents such as court leaders and administrators and defender systems, to use data and research to enhance their capacity and assist with efforts to assess, target and sustain the most critical and effective criminal justice services around upholding the Sixth Amendment rights, including effective public defense services.”

Over the next three years, NLADA will utilize its expertise and services to provide strategic, evidence-based planning services and national technical assistance, design new, engaging trainings, create an interactive online platform with needed tools and resources and raise awareness regarding the importance of effective representation in supporting and upholding the Sixth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. 

NLADA will leverage its track record of working with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) as training and technical assistance provider for the Innovative Defense Initiative, formerly referred to as the Smart Defense Initiative, to broaden the scope of services and supports for the national public defense community. It will engage a team of specialists, including members of the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) and Abt Associates to support and uphold the Sixth Amendment for all Americans.

NLADA will offer customized training and technical assistance (TTA) for three selected jurisdictions across the country as well as on-demand TTA at a national level. Concurrently, we will oversee the research and production of new publications and resources on the Sixth Amendment right to counsel, the building of a new, dynamic online platform and regional and national trainings.

In promoting excellence in the delivery of legal services to low-income people, NLADA has always worked to strengthen and enhance Sixth Amendment rights. The heart of NLADA’s mission is to support, uphold and ensure that everyone has the right to effective, zealous counsel. This important project will assist us in getting closer to achieving that goal.

For more information, please contact Marea Beeman at [email protected]