Office of the Public Defender - Training Event Venues

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify qualified venue partners capable of hosting either one, two, or three of its annual training events. These trainings includes: Appeals and Post Conviction Training to be held February 3-4, 2027, Youth Defense Summit to be held May 19-21, 2027, and Public Defender Summit to be held October 21-22, 2027. OPD seeks one, two, or three venues that can provide meeting space, on ‑ site or nearby lodging, food and beverage service, on-site Audio-Visual support, and strong communication with OPD staff.

OPD is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney. The office, which is overseen by the Ohio Public Defender Commission, is divided into Administrative, Appellate Services, Legal and Public Affairs, Reimbursement and Analytics, and Trial Services divisions.

OPD provides representation on appeals and post-conviction actions in death penalty, criminal, and juvenile delinquency cases; at trial when requested by local courts and in counties that contract with OPD for trial services; and at parole revocation hearings for the more than 50,000 people in Ohio’s prisons. The agency provides technical assistance, research services, educational programs, and investigation and mitigation services to local public defenders and court-appointed counsel across Ohio. OPD also reimburses counties for a portion of the cost of running local indigent defense systems, and enforces standards established by the OPD Commission.