Date/Time
Date(s) - 12/17/2025
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Description
AB 1376 will be in effect in January 2026, and now is the time for us to get aligned. Join us for a conversation where youth defenders across the state can bring questions, anticipate challenges, and discuss how this new framework will affect our clients and our courtroom defense practices.
If you’re unsure how the 12-month probation cap will interact with current practice, how court orders may be affected, what counties are saying about the statute’s interpretation, and more- this is the space to bring it. This Zoom Room is our chance to pressure-test ideas, build a shared understanding, and identify what support the field needs before implementation.
Click here to register
MCLE Information
This training is eligible for 1.5 Hours of General MCLE and counts for continued education & training requirements for CA Rule 5.664. CYDC certifies that this activity conforms to the standards of approved education activities prescribed by the rules and regulations of the State Bar of California governing Minimum Continuing Legal Education.**
**Unless otherwise noted, these trainings are intended for members of the youth defense community only, including attorneys, investigators, social workers, paralegals, mitigation specialists, law office professionals, and other job roles on defense teams.***
Speakers
Dafna Gozani is Legislative and Policy Strategies Director with the National Center for Youth Law. Dafna leads policy advocacy, including drafting, advocating, and implementing legislation that centers the voices of those most directly impacted. She partners with communities, and collaborates with the National Center for Youth Law’s litigation teams to advance policies and practices rooted in positive youth development.
Stephen Hirsch has worked as an assistant public defender in the Sacramento County Office for more than 8 years and has spent half of that time as a juvenile defender. Currently, Stephen represents clients committed to and discharged from Sacramento’s secure youth treatment facility, as well as clients facing transfer to criminal court. Stephen also works on juvenile competency issues and served on Sacramento County’s Juvenile Competency Protocol Committee. Stephen earned his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and his B.A. from Stanford University.
Shelan Joseph currently serves as Special Counsel to Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo García, where she provides legal and policy guidance on matters that shape the county’s defense practice and justice reform efforts. With more than 26 years of experience as a public defender, she has built a career centered on protecting due process, advancing racial justice, and creating pathways for second chances.
Jonathan Laba has been with the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office since 1996 and has handled all types of cases, including capital cases. During the past 12 years, he has supervised a variety of different units in the Public Defender’s Office, including felony and misdemeanor trial teams, mental health, post-conviction, and writs and appeals. Since 2020, Jonathan has supervised the office’s youth defense team.
Maureen Pacheco is the Trainer for the Juvenile Division of the Alternate Public Defenders Office in Los Angeles. Ms. Pacheco is also a NITA trainer and has been certified as a JTIP trainer by the National Juvenile Defender Center. She has spent the majority of her career representing youth, and has handled cases at the trial level, as a writ/appellate attorney, and in post-conviction proceedings.