Please be advised that registration for all Training Division Events is limited to persons who provide services pursuant to the Federal Criminal Justice Act (CJA). For more information please read our Training Events Registration Disclaimer. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) accreditation for DSO Training Division Programs will be requested unless otherwise noted. Program Credit hours will always be subject to each state's approval and credit rounding rules. Approved programs and credit hours will be made available at the conclusion of applicable programs.
NEW For CLE information and available resources pertaining to your state, please visit the CLE Information Center.
Please read the 2022 DSO In-Person Health & Safety Protocols.
If you have any questions about registering, please emailus.
Dec 31
2021- Fundamentals of Federal Criminal Defense - Virtual Program (Recordings)
Fundamentals is designed for those new to federal criminal defense practice and addresses topics that you will likely encounter in your practice, such as ways to recognize and reduce racial injustice in the federal courts, the Bail Reform Act, the essential role of investigation in CJA cases, mental health issues, discovery and motion practice, pleas and proffers, the basics of sentencing and the sentencing guidelines, application of the sentencing guidelines, the categorical approach, the Bureau of Prison, and federal appeals.
Materials and links for the sessions are provided by clicking this link.
6
Hello, Goodbye, & Everything In Between: Communicating Ethically and Effectively with Our Client’s Loved Ones and Community Supporters
Using a compassionate approach, this training presents a nuts-and-bolts method to develop meaningful and ethical conversations with the loved ones of our clients. This presentation is designed to address the situations that you likely encounter in your practice, such as hostile family members on the phone, well-meaning loved ones and community supporters who can hurt your client’s case, and distraught loved ones. Learn ways to handle these communications and share information without violating rules of professional conduct.
Myra Cause is an Assistant Federal Public Defender and Assistant Training Coordinator at the Federal Public Defender Office for the Western District of North Carolina located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although she is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, she attended University of Portland and earned a bachelor’s degree in science with a double major in Spanish and life science. She thereafter attended Lewis and Clark Law School and earned a Juris Doctor. During her time at Lewis and Clark Law School she earned a certificate in Environmental Law, worked with Spanish speaking migrant communities through Legal Aid, and assisted marginalized populations through the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center (PEAC) where she practiced Environmental Law with a focus on Environmental Justice.
Myra has enjoyed diverse roles during her career within the criminal justice system. She began her career by working with a criminal state court judge in Florida before becoming a criminal state prosecutor. She transitioned into federal criminal defense in 2016 and has thrived in her vocation as an Assistant Federal Public Defender ever since. Myra is the Training Coordinator in her Defender Office.
We are seeking CLE credits in Ethics for this Webinar.
6 - 9
The Andrea Taylor Sentencing Advocacy Workshop - Virtual Program
December 6 – 9, 2022, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. (EST)
The Andrea Taylor Sentencing Advocacy Workshop focuses on a vital area of federal practice that has evolved since the Supreme Court declared the federal sentencing guidelines were advisory and no longer mandatory. Since approximately 97% of federal criminal cases continue to the sentencing phase, participation in the Sentencing Advocacy Workshop should not be missed. The Sentencing Advocacy Workshop teaches a comprehensive approach to sentencing where participants are trained to develop persuasive, fact-based, sentencing theories, and are provided with the advocacy skills necessary to advance their theories both in writing and during sentencing hearings. Presentations and demonstrations at the workshop include client-centered communication, interviewing for mitigation, fact busting, developing persuasive theories and themes, storytelling at sentencing, persuasive writing, and persuasive presentation.
This virtual iteration of the workshop consists of pre-recorded videos and small group breakout sessions. In the small group sessions, participants will use pending cases of their own to bust the facts, develop theories and themes, practice storytelling, persuasively write part of their sentencing memorandums and discuss how best to conduct sentencing hearings.
Please note that due to the workshop format of this program, participants must commit to attend all parts of this workshop, i.e., prepare for the workshop sessions by watching all seven (7) pre-recorded videos, and attend all four (4) live small group breakout sessions.
Enrollment for this program is limited to 60 participants – priority will be given to those people who have not attended this workshop in the past.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) accreditation for this program will be sought in all applicable jurisdictions. Additional CLE information will be available after the conclusion of this program.
8
Appellate Series Session 3: Tips and Strategies for Approaching, Preparing and Writing an Opening Brief
Writing an appellate brief can be a daunting task. In this webinar, we will address how to break down the brief into more manageable pieces and approach each piece of the brief as an opportunity for zealous advocacy. You will learn how to review the record with an eye toward appealable issues, how to take notes to focus potential challenges, and how to research potential issues effectively. Each section of a federal appellate brief will be addressed and we will review the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure applicable to an opening brief. Participants will receive instruction on writing with purpose, developing themes, structuring arguments, and effective editing.
Presenter
Johanna M. Christiansen is an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Central District of Illinois. She has been with the office since 2001, primarily working as an appellate attorney and Appellate Division Chief. In addition to representing her clients in the Seventh Circuit, Ms. Christiansen writes the Case Law Update for her office which summarizes recently developments in criminal law in the Seventh Circuit and United States Supreme Court. She authors several publications for the office including the “Handbook for Criminal Appeals in the Seventh Circuit.” She also teaches Advanced Appellate Advocacy as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois College of Law. Prior to obtaining her position with the Federal Public Defender, she served as an appellate law clerk to the late Honorable Daryl L. Hecht of the Iowa Court of Appeals (later of the Iowa Supreme Court.) Ms. Christiansen received her J.D. from Drake University School of Law and her B.A. from St. Olaf College.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) accreditation for this program will be sought in all applicable jurisdictions. Additional CLE information will be available after the conclusion of this program.
14
Webinar: What Defense Attorneys Should Know About the Current JSIN Tool
Last year, the Commission released the Judiciary Sentencing INformation tool, or “JSIN” and described the tool as "specifically developed with the needs of judges in mind." Since JSIN’s initial release, there has not only been an increase in JSIN results in presentence reports and at sentencing, but the Commission has also made significant changes to the tool. In this presentation attendees will learn how JSIN works and the data it reports (and does not report), and how the tool has changed. We will explore JSIN's capabilities and limitations and discuss how the tool may affect defense strategies at sentencing (and beyond).
Presenters
Allison Bruning is a data analyst with the National Sentencing Resource Counsel Project. Before joining SRC, Allison was a Lecturer at Texas State University. Prior to that she received an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. from the Mississippi State University.
Tina Woehr, Texas-born and Tucson-based, is an attorney with the National Sentencing Resource Counsel Project. Before they joined SRC, Tina was an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the District of Arizona and the Southern District of Texas. Prior to that she was an associate with the New York office of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Tina received their J.D. from Columbia Law School, and a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.
We are not applying for CLE for this program in order to get this important webinar out to the community as quickly as possible. We will provide attendees with a certificate of attendance which they may use to self-apply for CLE, depending on rules in their respective states.
18 - 20
SUSTAIN: Navigating and Progressing as Defenders of Color in Federal Practice - Virtual Program
Sustaining in federal defense is uniquely challenging for attorneys of color. Attorneys of color practice within legal institutions historically steeped in systematic racism. In addition to the substantive work itself, the impact of the over representation of people of color as defendants at every level of the criminal legal system, the historically white—led and white-dominated FPD offices and legal culture nationwide, and the daily slights and offenses many experience from colleagues, court, jails, prosecutors and more make sustaining in this work a daily struggle for many. Nevertheless, attorneys of color must professionally excel despite explicit and implicit bias-soaked barriers hindering them from doing so.
The SUSTAIN seminar is designed to assist attorneys of color as they endeavor to sustain long-term in federal defense. Three core themes will be explored at SUSTAIN: defending as our authentic selves, sustaining oneself in court and the office, and progressing in one’s career as an attorney of color. SUSTAIN will offer plenary speakers, moderated panels, roundtable discussions and workshops focused on: 1) practicing authentically, 2) professional and skill development, 3) practical tools, tips, and strategies for sustaining long-term, and 4) how to progress professionally and as a community of defenders of color. SUSTAIN is designed to encourage attorneys of color to share personal and professional experiences, learn from each other, and strategize to create lasting and fulfilling careers in federal defense.
SUSTAIN is a three-day virtual seminar that will be held on January 18-20, 2023, from 2:00-6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Sustain is open to attorneys in federal defender organizations and panel attorneys appointed to represent clients in federal court under the Criminal Justice Act. Attendees should plan to attend the entire seminar.
26 - 28
IN PERSON - Trial Skills Workshop: Bail Boot Camp
Three out of every four federal criminal defendants in the United States are held in pretrial detention, despite a presumption of innocence. Shocked? A high majority of the people held are of color. Outraged? One reason for this high rate of pretrial detention involves a misunderstanding and misapplication by the parties – the court, the prosecution, probation, and yes, the defense – of the Bail Reform Act (BRA). Appalled? The failure of the parties to adhere to the Bail Reform Act and the lack of zealous advocacy at the initial appearance and detention hearings have led to a crisis within the federal bail system – a crisis that has caused detrimental, and in many cases, irreversible negative consequences to the clients we represent.
The Bail Boot Camp is a skills-based workshop designed to change the system. Using a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and small group exercises, participants will learn the tools necessary to zealously defend their clients in the context of initial appearances and detention hearings.
Registration will be limited to 60 CJA Panel Attorneys, Federal Defender attorneys/staff, and other legal professionals that provide work under the Criminal Justice Act. Limited financial assistance may be available to CJA Panel Attorneys.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) accreditation for this workshop will be sought in all applicable jurisdictions.
2 - 4
Race in the Federal Criminal Court: Strategies in Pursuit of Justice
The history of the American criminal legal system is marked by racial inequity. Across time and space, numerous racialized groups – from the Indigenous Tribes of North America to the well-documented high rate of imprisonment among Black people to prioritizing the prosecution of Latinx people in the U.S. and along the southern border – have been a focus of attention for the nation’s courts.
The Race in the Federal Criminal Court: Strategies in Pursuit of Justice conference is an inclusive program designed to share with everyone working pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act about the many ways race impacts the administration of justice and to provide them with strategies and innovation to combat racial injustice in the criminal legal system.
Areas to be addressed include strategies on litigating race from the police encounter on the street and the Fourth Amendment, roadmap for successful Batson challenges, practical tips in defending noncitizens, and ways to decrease racial disparities in detention hearings, charging, pleas, and at sentencing. In addition, sessions devoted to teaching a trauma-informed approach to interviewing, counseling, and other aspects of defender work, exposing racial disparities in risk assessment tools, learning ways diverse teams can work cohesively and effectively, and several other sessions dealing with litigation, mitigation, and professional development will be presented in both plenary and breakout sessions. We will also hear and learn directly from those who have experienced the unnecessary cruelty of the law firsthand.
This program is open to everyone working with federal defender and CJA panel attorneys. Yes, that means both attorneys and non-attorneys, investigators, paralegals, legal assistants, and any defense professional who will find the program’s content valuable to their work.
The conference includes an optional visit to both the Dallas Civil Rights Museum and Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.
If you have questions about the content of this workshop, please contact Akin Adepoju at Akin_Adepoju@ao.uscourts.gov.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) accreditation for this program will be sought in all applicable jurisdictions. This program may satisfy CLE requirements in ethics, elimination of bias, inclusion and cultural competency, and professionalism.
2 - 3
Non Capital Habeas Conference
This program will cover the broad spectrum of issues specific to habeas corpus litigation on behalf of state and federal prisoners with noncapital cases. Plenary sessions will feature both national speakers and seasoned non-capital habeas attorneys, with breakout sessions for advanced and novice habeas pracitioners. Sessions will include investigating and pleading claims, habeas case updates from the circuits, and ethics. Anticipated novice track topics include: introductions to timeliness; exhaustion, and procedural default. Anticipated advanced track topics include: interplay between 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(2) and (e)(1) and real-case brainstorm session. The conference committee is in the process of planning the agenda and welcomes suggested topics, speakers and presentations from the habeas community, espcially from experienced habeas practitioners. Please email suggestions to George_Couture@ao.uscourts.gov.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) accreditation for this program will be sought in all applicable jurisdictions. Additional CLE information will be available after the conclusion of this program.
9 - 11
Grit: A Workshop To Energize, Elevate And Educate Women In Public Defense
We anticipate opening registration in mid-December.
Grit is a workshop designed by women and about women. For the first time Grit will take place in person! We will gather from March 9-11, 2023 in a very interactive format that involves live speakers, small group discussions, wellness offerings, self-assessment tools, and more.
Who may register?
We welcome all members of the legal team from federal defender offices or who are on CJA panels who seek community, growth, inspiration and time for reflection and goal setting. Our faculty is composed of legal assistants, paralegals, investigators, mitigation specialists, administrative officers, and lawyers.
Program description
Women in the indigent criminal defense field have many successes to celebrate and also face unique challenges. Participants in this small, women-focused program will find an active, collaborative, supportive community. This training will address a variety of topics as experienced by women including the journey to legal work, how to be a good mentor, improving communication in the office and in the courtroom, embracing strengths, identifying leadership goals, navigating relationships with colleagues and clients, building teams, understanding vicarious trauma, exploring work-life balance, and self-care practices and more.
Whether you are at the beginning of your work life or further along and hitting your stride, assuming leadership roles and maybe facing a roadblock, this workshop is for you. It is introspective, retrospective and prospective. By the end of this training, participants will appreciate anew how the community of women defense professionals is large and welcoming, fiercely committed to the mission and absolutely essential to the representation of indigent clients. Participants will set goals, learn strategies for handling challenges that arise, and strengthen a network of women colleagues upon whom they can depend.
If you have attended our virtual Grit, you are welcome to apply to attend the in-person Grit. Please note, however, that although we have added some new content, many speakers and presentations are the same as you will have seen in the virtual programs.
As with all DSOTD programs, there is no registration fee, and materials will be provided free of charge.
For questions about the substance of the workshop, please contact Lisa Lunt at Lisa_Lunt@ao.uscourts.gov for questions about registration or other logistics, please contact Daniel Calderon at Daniel_Calderon@ao.uscourts.gov.
CLE
This program may satisfy CLE requirements in professionalism, ethics, health/substance abuse/mental & physical issues, elimination of bias, inclusion and cultural competency.
12 - 14
IN PERSON: Train the Trainers Workshop
The Train the Trainers Workshop is designed to enhance training skills and expand the pool of experienced legal professionals available to serve as faculty at local legal education programs designed for CJA Panel Attorneys and Federal Defender Employees, and national Defender Services Office Training Division (DSO-TD) events. Participants will learn, discuss, and apply principles of adult learning, effective training design, small group facilitation skills, and interactive teaching techniques and methodologies. The workshop is open to CJA Panel Attorneys, Federal Defender Employees, and others who provide services under the Criminal Justice Act (CJA). All participants must bring a laptop with PowerPoint or another presentation software on it to the workshop. Two weeks prior to the workshop, each participant must submit a proposed topic they are interested in providing training on to fellow CJA practitioners. If you have done a training on this topic before, please provide a written description and outline of that training. Those who have not done training before but are interested in doing so are highly encouraged to apply. Registration is limited to 40 people. Limited financial assistance may be available to non-federal defender registrants for travel expenses. Early registration is encouraged.
20 - 22
IN-PERSON - Trial Skills Workshop / Crimes Decoded: Emerging Digital Litigation Technology Strategies
Crimes Decoded explores the intersection of digital technology and zealous advocacy in criminal cases. We aim to increase understanding and inspire CJA lawyers and Federal Public Defenders to think innovatively about how to litigate issues surrounding the digital technology that increasingly permeates their cases. We aim to build lawyers' confidence to use traditional advocacy skills with a new understanding of the potential challenges to the technology that law enforcement is using. With knowledge and skills, we can be successful in all phases of representation.
The program is a skills-based workshop. The expectation is that participants spend much of the workshop on their feet practicing their advocacy skills. Participants are divided into small groups that will practice the skills necessary to effectively exclude, explain, and/or persuade a Judge or Jury about the technology utilized. Lectures and demonstrations of these skills supplement and inform the small group workshops. The program consists of 10 plenary presentations, 5 workshop sessions, 2 demonstrations, and two optional events: (1) a "happening hour" where we invite participants to seek advice on any active cases from our experienced faculty, and an optional social gathering; and (2) a 75 minute lunch session for CJA attorneys titled "Vouch for your Voucher" which will focus on court rules for submitting expert requests to the court and best practices for submitting persuasive requests.
Because of the hands-on format of this workshop, attendance will be limited, and each participant must apply to be accepted to the program by completing the registration. Completed registration applications will be reviewed in the order they are received.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) accreditation for this program will be sought in all applicable jurisdictions. Additional CLE information will be available after the conclusion of this program.
This program was originally scheduled for Oct. 13-15, 2022, but was rescheduled for technical reasons. We anticipate re-opening registration in mid-November 2022, including offering financial assistance to a limted number of applicants.