MEETINGS & EVENTS
UPCOMING MEETINGS/EVENTS:
We invite you to our April monthly membership meeting:
Thursday, April 22, 2021
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
On Zoom
Topic: Legal & Social Justice Reform in Washington
Prachi Dave, Policy and Advocacy Director at the Public Defender Association (PDA), will provide an overview of key legislative actions that occurred during the current legislative session. This legislative session is the first of a biennium and several key pieces of legislation have passed through, and been passed, during the session. In addition, advocates across the state of Washington are contending with a court ruling from the Washington Supreme Court, State v. Blake, invalidating the simple drug possession statute in Washington. The impact of the decision is reverberating through advocacy circles. This forum will be an opportunity for a conversation about the different criminal legal system developments in Washington.
Located in downtown Seattle, PDA advocates for criminal legal system reform and develops alternatives that shift from a punishment paradigm to a system that supports individual and community health. Grounding reform in a public health and safety framework, PDA develops new strategies and implements models that improve on conventional responses to crime and public order issues. In collaboration with community and government partners, PDA uses policy advocacy, organizing, litigation, and public education to achieve its goals.
Speaker:
Prachi Dave, Policy & Advocacy Director
Public Defender Association (PDA)
Prachi Dave is the Policy & Advocacy Director at Public Defender Association. Prior to joining PDA, Prachi was a Staff Attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU-WA) where she managed the Second Chances Project, which focused on the reentry aspect of criminal justice reform. There, she worked to reduce the barriers posed by criminal records through litigation and policy advocacy. She also worked on the problems relating to legal financial obligations (LFOs) in the state of Washington and how the system of LFOs has contributed to mass incarceration through debtors prisons. Prior to joining ACLU-WA, Prachi spent seven years as a Public Defender in Colorado, representing juvenile and adult clients on misdemeanor and felony charges. Prachi is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the University of Iowa College of Law.
Agenda:
11:00 - 11:30 AM Discussion Group lead by Theresa McCormick - Topic: Gun Regulation
11:30 - 11:45 AM Welcome & Short Business Meeting - Approve By-Laws Revision
11:45 - 1:00 PM Speaker & Discussion
Reservation required! Please RSVP by email to by Wednesday evening, April 21 to receive the Zoom invitation to access the virtual meeting
For questions and more info, contact Mary Fisher, Chair at 206-933-8340 or by email:
Hope to see you soon on Zoom!
Upcoming Events:
May 27, 2021- Evening Meeting
Tentative - Session Wrap-up with 34th LD Legislators
June 24, 2021 - Daytime Meeting
Tentative - Mayoral Candidate Panel
July 22, 2021 - Evening Meeting
Topic - TBD
August 26 - Summer Picnic