Stanford Trial Advocacy & New Defender Uplift Program
The Stanford Trial Advocacy & New Defender Uplift Program (STANDUP) offers early career public defenders from California counties the opportunity to hone their trial skills, share best practices, and make connections with their fellow PDs from across Northern California. The program also provides an opportunity for the participants to learn how to better confront the inherent stresses of an often-challenging career.
Ron and I saw an opportunity to leverage the resources and brainpower here to create this program for public defenders, who have some of the toughest jobs in public service.
I got better at everything during STANDUP. As someone just beginning their career, it was a fantastic opportunity to see other public defenders fearlessly try out new techniques and then take what I liked—a phrase that hit home, an image in closing that stuck— and try it out as well.
Holst Katsma, JD ’24