Meet the Training Team
Gina Pruski
Director of Training & Development
(608) 266-6782
pruskig@opd.wi.gov
Gina Pruski is the Training Director for SPD. She began her legal career in the SPD's Fond du Lac Trial Office after graduating from UW Law School in 1992. After her stint as a staff attorney in Fond du Lac, she joined the SPD's Office of Legal Counsel and performed legislative liaison duties for the agency. She became Training Director in 2004. Gina was the 2016-17 Chair of the National Alliance of Indigent Defense Educators (NAIDE), the trainers’ section of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) and is currently an executive officer of NAIDE. She is an active member of the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD) and serves on NAPD’s Education Committee. She frequently conducts training for public defender trainers around the country. Gina has also received extensive training in the area of racial justice facilitation and conducts anti-racism workshops for public defender offices and organizations around the country. Other subjects for which she conducts training at the national level include public defender wellness and public defense leadership.
Guy Cardamone
Training Coordinator
(608) 266-9156
cardamoneg@opd.wi.gov
Guy Cardamone is a lifelong public defender and dedicated attorney trainer, who started his career in Miami, Florida, and currently works as an assistant public defender and training coordinator in Madison, Wisconsin. Over the course of his career, Guy has defended the accused at all levels: from homicide to simple battery. He’s taught criminal defense and trial skills nationwide as a faculty member of the National Criminal Defense College and the Wisconsin, Kentucky, and New Jersey Trial Skills programs.
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Guy has also presented on a variety of topics in criminal defense for the NACDL, OACDL, the Wisconsin Bar, and the Wisconsin Public Defender. His multidisciplinary approach to criminal defense practice includes education, sales, psychology, and literary and film studies.
Chris Lang
Audio-Visual Production Specialist
(608) 261-0622
langc@opd.wi.gov
Chris is the agency's video producer and client support specialist in the training division. He provides support for the On-Demand site and can also help if you are working with any type of media in your cases (eg: squad video or audio, recorded interviews, graphics or images).
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Additionally, Chris produces mitigation videos: short, biographical videos that help to humanize our clients in an effort to reduce harsh sentences. If you would like to discuss any of these issues with him, he would love to hear from you at langc@opd.wi.gov.
Justin's job is to assist in the development, planning and implementation of training programs. His background is in Contemplative Counseling Psychology, and he brings his 7+ years experience as a Client Services Specialist to the training team. Interests include Public Defender sustainability, mindfulness meditation practices, dismantling systems of oppression, transformative justice, and everything related to BICYCLES!
Justin Heim
Staff Development Program Specialist
(608) 509-5266
heimj@opd.wi.gov