APDA Conference 2026: Full Schedule

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

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8:15am MST

Wednesday June 17, 2026 8:15am - 9:45am MST

This presentation will discuss many of the challenges trial lawyers may experience moving from a pre-conviction caseload to an appellate one. It will also provide tips for lawyers preparing to make the transition to appellate work, and those potentially considering handling appeals and post-conviction relief matters in the future. Finally, it will provide information about the connection between the trial record and appellate work that will aid both sets of practitioners.

Speakers

Ian McCloskey

Attorney, Pima Co. Public Defense Services

I am an Arizona native, a graduate of Arizona State University and the University of Arizona's James E. Rogers College of Law, and a career public defender. I spent six years in the felony trial unit at the Pima County Public Defender's Office, including four years specializing in... Read More →

Wednesday June 17, 2026 8:15am - 9:45am MST
TBA

Appeals

CLE Hours 1.5

10:00am MST

Is Originalism Enough? Competing Theories of Law and Constitutional Meaning

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MST

TBA

Examines whether originalism provides an adequate framework for constitutional interpretation by exploring competing theories of law, including natural law, legal positivism, legal realism, and pragmatic approaches. Provides practical tools for understanding and advancing constitutional arguments grounded in broader jurisprudential traditions shaping how courts interpret the law today.

Speakers

Kevin Heade

Attorney, Pinal Co. Public Defender

Kevin Heade is a Defender Attorney with the Pinal County Public Defender office in Phoenix, Arizona. His work is focused on criminal appeals and other post-conviction matters. Kevin also serves as President of Death Penalty Alternatives for Arizona, the chair of the Arizona Attorneys... Read More →

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am MST
TBA

Appeals

CLE Hours 1.5

3:15pm MST

Untimely and Successive PCRs after Anderson and Traverso

Wednesday June 17, 2026 3:15pm - 4:45pm MST

TBA

The Arizona Supreme Court has recently issued a handful of important decisions regarding the availability of relief to defendants raising claims in second or successive PCRs. Learn how to use these new decisions to ensure that your clients’ cases are heard on the merits and are not dismissed as being untimely or precluded.

Speakers