Navigating Military Culture in Legal Practice

Description: Military cultural competence can improve engagement with justice-involved veterans, including interviews, case preparation, and overall advocacy. This session will address military culture and its impact on justice-involved veterans. The presenter will also cover New York’s Veterans Treatment Court transfer legislation. 

Presenter: Nancy Farrell, Esq., Director of the Veterans Defense Program, New York State Defenders Association

Presenter Bio: Nancy Farrell is the Director of NYSDA’s Veterans Defense Program. Prior to becoming a part of the VDP team she practiced criminal and parental defense in Ontario County as an Assistant Public Defender and as the Public Defender in Schuyler County. Nancy’s familiarity with veterans developed during her time as the primary defense attorney in the Ontario County Veterans Treatment Court. In 2014 she started her Family Court practice at Hiscock Legal Aid Society in Syracuse, NY. She is the recipient of the 2017 NYSBA Denison Ray Defender Award and the 2018 Ella B. Family Justice Award, for her role in ensuring parents were represented at removal hearings in Syracuse, NY.