Meet the Training and Resource Team

Who works within the Training & Conferences department?

Karl Doss supports and develops defender training programs. He has over 20 years experience as a public defender, prosecutor, and judicial officer. Prior to joining NLADA in January 2009, Mr. Doss served as the Director of the Department of Judicial Programs with the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. He developed a training program to certify special justices who conduct mental health commitment hearings and coordinated court projects to reform Virginia's magistrate system and mental health commitment process, as well as improve compensation for court appointed lawyers providing indigent defense services. From 2003 to 2006, he served as Director of Training and Human Resources with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. In this role, he developed and conducted training programs for public defenders and court appointed private attorneys providing indigent defense representation, including the statutorily mandated indigent defense certification training program and the Public Defender Trial Skills Bootcamp. Mr. Doss has presented at numerous trainings and continuing legal education programs on subjects such as client interviewing skills for defenders, juvenile defense, attorney ethics, and diversity in prosecutor offices. He also served one year as Deputy Public Defender in the Norfolk (VA) Public Defender's Office, where he supervised attorneys assigned to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Doss was a Staff Attorney with the Children's Law Center in Brooklyn, NY. From 1997 to 2000, Mr. Doss was a member of the Hennepin County (MN) District Court bench as a Referee of Family Court. Prior to that, he served seven years as an Assistant County Attorney in the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. He began his career in 1987 as an Assistant Hennepin County Public Defender.

Contact Karl for: Information on Training curriculum, consultant opportunities and evaluations

Melva L. Jones, Meetings & Events Manager

Melva, a graduate of Columbia and Howard University respectively is a consummate events professional with over a decade of experience. Known for her creative and theatrical event designs, Melva has coordinated concerts, festivals, annual meetings, rallies, fundraisers, fashion shows, pageants, and events in excess of 40,000 persons, as well as authored 3 event planning guides. Prior to joining NLADA, Melva was the Strategic Events Manager and first event planner for College Summit Inc., a national education non-profit committed to increasing the college enrollment rates nationwide. In this role, Melva developed the event strategy for an events department which hosted 50 youth conferences, in 11 states, in an 8 week period and over 60 events annually. Prior to becoming a hospitality professional, Melva was a battered women’s counselor and held numerous faculty/administrative positions at Howard University, Barnard College and American University.

Contact Melva for: Questions pertaining to hotel contracting opportunities, event logistics or volunteer opportunities