MDefenders Alum
What is your name?
Devon Schmidt, ’24.
Where are you from originally?
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Where did you attend college for your undergraduate degree?
Georgetown University.
Where are you working now and what is your position there?
I’m a felony attorney at the Metropolitan Public Defender in Portland, Oregon.
How did MDefenders play a role in your law school experience?
The community and programming is what made me become a public defender. Public defense wasn’t on my radar until I found the students and faculty who were so passionate and excited about the work. I was inspired by people’s passion and commitment to explore public defense. Building a network of people with similar values in law school was so important to stay grounded in why I went to law school in the first place.
How has MDefenders made a difference in your career development?
MDefenders prepared me for the realities of the job of a public defender, especially the difficult aspects you can’t really understand until you do it. I feel like I was equipped to started building systems to help me maintain good work-life balance, practice self-care, and sustain this work so I can make a positive impact for my clients in the long-run.
What other defender offices have you worked at in the past?
I interned at the Colorado State Public Defender in Boulder my 1L summer, then MPD my 2L summer.
Why did you enroll in the Public Defender Training Institute?
I took this course to work to be the best attorney I can be. I wanted to learn important skills for being a public defender in a lower stakes, lower stress environment.
How has the Public Defender Training Institute helped you in your career?
PDTI helped me have the confidence from the beginning to litigate and hold the state to account. Because of the intensive and practical training from the PDTI, I felt ready from the first day to open a case file and think about what steps I need to take to prepare the case for trial. This has helped me immensely in securing trial wins for clients, but also negotiating better deals for my clients.Even though it didn’t always feel low stress, PDTI helped me have the confidence to speak to judges in court and advocate for my clients from the get go.