Melanie Foote is the Education Branch Manager for the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy. Melanie joined the Education and Strategic Planning Branch of the Department of Public Advocacy in 2015. In that role she is responsible for training all members of the statewide public defender system in Kentucky.

Melanie received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego and her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. She is a member of New York and Kentucky State Bars and has been practicing in Kentucky since she joined the Adult Post Conviction Branch of the Department of Public Advocacy in 2007.

While in the Post Conviction Branch, Melanie represented adult clients on claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, mistake in the proceedings, and claims of actual innocence. In 2009, she joined the Kentucky Innocence Project to work exclusively on DNA based claims of actual innocence.

In 2010, Melanie transitioned to a trial position with DPA and represented clients in district, circuit, juvenile and family court in the Elizabethtown and LaGrange Trial Offices. Melanie assists in educating the community on issues related to criminal law and is a faculty member for several state and national training programs, including the National Criminal Defense College.

Jeff is a highly respected public defense veteran with over 25 years of experience training public defense staff nationwide. Known as the “trainer of trainers,” he has mentored countless public defense training directors, presenters, and small group coaches across the country. Jeff’s expertise is sought after, having delivered in-person training in over 40 states and taught for prestigious programs such as the National Criminal Defense College, Gideon’s Promise, and Harvard Trial Advocacy Workshop. He formerly served as the training director for both the National Association for Public Defense and the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy.