NACDL - Gideon in 60: Public Defense Power & Pride Campaign

Gideon in 60: Public Defense Power & Pride Campaign

On March 18, 1963 the US Supreme Court in Gideon v. Wainwright, recognized "in our adversary system of criminal justice, any person haled into court, who is too poor to hire a lawyer, cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided for him." To honor the tireless work done by public defenders and court-appointed counsel across the country, we celebrate March 18th as Public Defense Day. Join the celebration by sharing your 60 second public defense video message.

Show Your Support

1) Record a short video (up to 60 seconds) sharing your message on ONE of these topics:

Public Defense Pride: Tell us
- Why you are proud to be a public defense lawyer?
- Share a positive memory or story about your work in public defense/My best moment as a public defense lawyer is… (Please be respectful of client privacy and do not use names or specific case identifiers)
- The most rewarding part about my work in public defense is...
- I am inspired to do this work because...?
Myth Busting: Put an end to common misconceptions about public defense/public defense lawyers.
- What is a common misconception people have about public defense/public defense lawyers (and what is the truth)?
- What is something important people should know about public defense/public defense lawyers?
The Power of public defense/The role of public defense.
- Why does public defense/public defense lawyers matter? What critical role do public defense/public defense lawyers play?
- What does it mean to be a public defender today?
- Why/How does public defense further justice, equity, social justice?

2) Complete the form below to get a link and upload your video.

Make sure the File Name of your video matches the file name you submit on the form.
Learn more about how to make and upload your video by checking out our guidelines.

Video Guidelines Phone Guidelines