DECATUR, GA — The Law Office of the Public Defender in DeKalb County recently extended its commitment to justice well beyond Georgia’s borders.

Circuit Public Defender Letitia Delan and Director of Training and Professional Development Annie Deets traveled to Kenya as part of an international team of volunteer trainers bringing trial advocacy instruction directly into prisons.

Hosted in collaboration with JUSTICE NEST, the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), and Jones Day, the program provided hands-on courtroom skills training to incarcerated individuals, prison staff, paralegals, and community legal advocates.

Real-Time Skills in Real-Life Settings

The training took place inside a Kenyan prison, where participants learned to:

• Read and challenge criminal charges
• Present opening and closing statements
• Conduct direct and cross-examinations
• Participate in mock trials held on-site

“The level of engagement and determination shown by the trainees was extraordinary,” said Deets, who has now taken part in four such missions to Africa. “Despite limited resources, their hunger for justice and legal knowledge was inspiring.”

This was Deets’ third time conducting training inside a prison setting.

Global Challenges, Shared Solutions

In Kenya, most people facing criminal charges are not entitled to a government-provided lawyer unless the case involves the death penalty. For many, navigating the legal system without professional representation is a daily reality.

By equipping incarcerated individuals and local advocates with foundational advocacy skills, the program helps to fill a critical access-to-justice gap.

For Delan, the experience was both humbling and energizing.

“Justice is not a luxury. It is a right,” she said. “This work reinforces why we do what we do every day here in Georgia. We returned more committed than ever to providing excellent defense—no matter where the courtroom is.”

Led by a Trailblazer

The project was spearheaded by retired U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Ann Claire Williams, now with Jones Day, who has spent years working to promote rule-of-law and legal training across Africa.

The initiative is supported by the NITA Foundation, which provides funding and faculty support for global advocacy education.

Justice Nest is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring access to justice for vulnerable families and individuals in Kenya. They posted this image and message after the trip.

“What happens when you bring world-class trial advocacy training into one of Kenya’s most fortified prisons?

“You unlock something powerful.

“Inside the walls of Shimo La Tewa Maximum Prison, Justice Nest, in partnership with NITA and Jones Day, led a transformative courtroom experience like no other.

“No robes. No jury. Just truth, growth, and voice.

“Prison paralegals stood in the roles of defenders. Lawyers listened more than they spoke. Judges became coaches. And every cross-examination, every objection, every closing statement echoed with the quiet urgency of “we deserve to be heard.”

“This was not theory — this was trial advocacy in its rawest, most human form.

“’I didn’t just learn how to argue a case. I found the courage and confidence to speak again.’ Participant, Shimo La Tewa

“From inside the system, we are shaping those who will one day change it.
This is what justice looks like when it listens from the inside out.”

Bringing the Experience Home

Delan and Deets plan to incorporate lessons learned abroad into local training for Georgia’s public defenders—sharing cross-cultural insights and renewed strategies for client-centered advocacy.

“This wasn’t just a training,” said Deets. “It was a reminder that the fight for fairness, dignity, and justice belongs to all of us—across all borders.”

The DeKalb public defender office is part of the statewide Georgia Public Defender Council (GPDC).

In Georgia, public defenders are the frontline champions of justice. GPDC’s dedicated attorneys passionately defend the rights of low-income and underserved community members to ensure they receive high quality representation. Approximately 85% of criminal defendants in the state are defended by the GPDC. Learn more at www.gapubdef.org.