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.
For CLE information and available resources pertaining to your state, please visit the CLE Information Center.
If you have any questions about registering, please emailus.
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Unlocking the Sentencing Guidelines, A Virtual Series: Session 3 - Calculating Guidelines in Drug Cases
Unlocking the Sentencing Guidelines: A Virtual Series is a comprehensive examination of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Monthly webinars will examine topics in Chapter One on relevant conduct; in Chapter Two on guideline calculations for drug offenses, firearm offenses, immigration offenses, sex offenses, and economic crime offenses; in Chapter Three on adjustments and grouping; in Chapter Four on criminal history calculations and career offender/categorical approach problems; in Chapters Five and Seven on imposition and violations of probation/supervised release; on recent guideline amendments and trending sentencing guideline issues; on the effective use of data and resources in deconstructing the guidelines; and, finally, on the importance of injecting the clients' stories to move away from a rigid application of the guidelines, particularly when the guidelines provide too harsh a sentence.
Session 3 - Calculating Guidelines in Drug Cases
Drug trafficking and distribution cases are the most commonly prosecuted of all federal offenses. As defense practitioners, we are compelled to be experts on the fundamentals and nuances of USSG Section 2D1.1. This session will begin with an overview of the method to determine base offense levels for the type and quantity of drugs involved in your case. We will then delve in to such concepts as relevant conduct, safety value, role adjustments and more, all of which must be considered to determine your client’s total offense level. This session will conclude examining how Kimbrough can mitigate the drug type/quantity/purity structure of USSG Section 2D1.1, which fails to advance the purposes of sentencing under 18 U.S.C. Section 3553(a).
Presenter:
Lex A. Coleman is the Senior Litigator AFPD for the Southern District of West Virginia. He was previously appointed to the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Northern District of Georgia (2006), the Sixth Circuit (2005), and the Eastern District of Tennessee (2000). He served as judicial law clerk to U.S. Magistrate Judge John Y. Powers, E.D.TN, from 1991-92. Education: Cecil C. Humphrey’s School of Law, Univ. of Memphis, 1991 (Int’l Law Moot Court, Law Review); Rhodes College, B.A. Economics & Finance, 1986 (London School of Economics, summer grant, 1985). Member NACDL, John A. Fields, Jr., American Inns of Court.
CLE Information:
We have applied for CLE accreditation in states that have mandatory requirements. We regret that we cannot respond to telephone inquiries regarding the status of CLE approval prior to the webinar. All information related to CLE will be emailed to attendees within 15-30 days following the program.
- To minimize reporting fees per attorney/program, if you are barred in more than one of the following states NM, TN, PA, NE, attendance will be reported to one state only.
- The attorney is responsible for making sure the appropriate state and bar number is on file with the DSO Training Division.
- For applicable states, attendance will be reported using the bar number and state(s) listed on the registration form submitted for this program.
- Failure to provide the state and bar number may result in the Training Division not being able to report your attendance.
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2024 L&T Series: Electronic Courtroom Presentation (ECP) Workshop
The Law & Technology Series: Electronic Courtroom Presentation (ECP) Workshop provides CJA panel attorneys and federal defender organization staff with the legal, strategic, and technological considerations involved with presenting information in federal courtrooms during trials and hearings. This program uses a combination of plenary presentations and small group, hands-on instruction. In the smaller breakout groups, attendees will practice direct and cross-examination, opening statements and closing arguments, using PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat Reader and Trial Director software which are well suited for electronically presenting information in the courtroom.
To best participate at this program, all attendees are required to supply their own laptop computer and are strongly encouraged to utilize their own case materials (hearing/trial, small/large). In order to be considered for admission, all applicants MUST complete and return a short skill set rubric (SSR) before an individual registration submission is finalized. NOTE: the presentation software programs used in this workshop are designed to work on Windows operating systems (as opposed to Mac). If accepted, you must bring a laptop running Windows, or a Mac laptop running a virtualized copy of Windows.
18 - 20
2024 Non-Capital Sentencing Mitigation Skills Workshop
Using a storytelling approach, this workshop presents a hands-on method on the development of non-capital mitigation and its integration into persuasive sentencing advocacy. Through plenary and small group sessions, participants will further their understanding on non-capital mitigation evidence and the skills necessary to effectively interview for mitigation; investigate, collect and analyze records; and write reports and/or sentencing memorandum to present mitigation at sentencing. In the small group sessions, participants will use pending cases of their own to practice interviewing, storytelling, and persuasive writing. This workshop is specifically designed for social workers, mitigation specialists, investigators, sentencing advocates, attorneys and other professionals who provide this work under the Criminal Justice Act (CJA).
CLE & CIN
We have applied for CLE accreditation in states that have mandatory requirements. We regret that we cannot respond to telephone inquiries regarding the status of CLE approval prior to the seminar. All information related to CLE will be emailed to attendees within 15-30 days following the program.
- To minimize reporting fees per attorney/program, if you are barred in more than one of the following states NM, TN, PA, NE, attendance will be reported to one state only. The attorney is responsible for making sure the appropriate state and bar number is on file with the DSO Training Division.
- For applicable states, attendance will be reported using the bar number and state(s) listed on the registration form submitted for this program.
- Failure to provide the state and bar number may result in the Training Division not being able to report your attendance.
- CLE accreditation for this DSO Training Division Program will be requested unless otherwise noted. Program Credit hours are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.
For those attending in person from FPDOs, the Conference Identification Number (CIN) for this workshop is CONF240015.
Financial Assistance
Limited financial assistance may be available to non-federal defender registrants for travel and/or lodging purposes. Completed financial assistance applications must be returned no later than 5:00 PM EDT on June 5, 2024.
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Trial Skills Academy
Join the Training Division in Milwaukee for the 2024 Trial Skills Academy (TSA) from August 4-9, 2024! Now in its 15th year, TSA continues to be a cornerstone for enhancing the courtroom advocacy skills of Federal Defenders and CJA panel attorneys.
Through a blend of plenary sessions and small group workshops, our experienced faculty guide participants in crafting compelling, fact-driven theories and supporting themes. Plenaries and demonstrations cover essential elements of effective litigation and trial advocacy, followed by hands-on practice and personalized feedback in small group workshops. This teaching methodology is integral to TSA, making it one of the premier trial skills programs nationwide.
One of TSA’s unique features is the inclusion of professional actors in each small group, infusing the program with added energy and realism.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own cases, providing a unique opportunity to delve deeply into their litigation strategies with the support of fellow group members and expert faculty. Beyond skill-building, TSA offers an unparalleled chance for a six-day immersive brainstorming session alongside some of the nation’s leading trial lawyers.
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Unlocking the Sentencing Guidelines, A Virtual Series: Session 4 - Targeting the Firearms Guidelines from Section 2K2.1 and Beyond
Unlocking the Sentencing Guidelines: A Virtual Series is a comprehensive examination of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Monthly webinars will examine topics in Chapter One on relevant conduct; in Chapter Two on guideline calculations for drug offenses, firearm offenses, immigration offenses, sex offenses, and economic crime offenses; in Chapter Three on adjustments and grouping; in Chapter Four on criminal history calculations and career offender/categorical approach problems; in Chapters Five and Seven on imposition and violations of probation/supervised release; on recent guideline amendments and trending sentencing guideline issues; on the effective use of data and resources in deconstructing the guidelines; and, finally, on the importance of injecting the clients' stories to move away from a rigid application of the guidelines, particularly when the guidelines provide too harsh a sentence.
Session 4 - Targeting the Firearms Guidelines from Section 2K2.1 and Beyond
Section 2K2.1 is the main guideline for numerous commonly prosecuted firearm offenses, including violations under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). This presentation offers an in-depth analysis of Section 2K2.1 and other frequently applied firearm guidelines and firearm-related sentencing enhancements in chapters two through five. It covers the legal and factual standards for guideline application, significant case law interpreting these guidelines, and effective litigation strategies to help secure the lowest possible guideline range for your client.
Presenter:
Adeel M. Bashir is an attorney with the Federal Public and Community Defender’s Sentencing Resource Counsel. In his role, Adeel supports the Defenders and CJA Panels nationwide, offering appellate and trial litigation assistance, engaging with the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and addressing congressional inquiries on matters of national significance in criminal law. Before his current position, Adeel served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender and Senior Appellate Attorney for over a decade with the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Florida.
CLE Information:
We have applied for CLE accreditation in states that have mandatory requirements. We regret that we cannot respond to telephone inquiries regarding the status of CLE approval prior to the webinar. All information related to CLE will be emailed to attendees within 15-30 days following the program.
- To minimize reporting fees per attorney/program, if you are barred in more than one of the following states NM, TN, PA, NE, attendance will be reported to one state only.
- The attorney is responsible for making sure the appropriate state and bar number is on file with the DSO Training Division.
- For applicable states, attendance will be reported using the bar number and state(s) listed on the registration form submitted for this program.
- Failure to provide the state and bar number may result in the Training Division not being able to report your attendance.
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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 the Central American immigrants at today’s southern U.S. border – have been a focus of attention for the nation’s courts.
The annual Race in the Federal Criminal Court: Strategies in Pursuit of Justice is an inclusive program designed to share with everyone working pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act the many ways race impacts the administration of justice, and to provide 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 cruelty of the law firsthand.
This program is open to everyone working with Federal Defender organizations and CJA panel attorneys. Yes, that means attorneys, investigators, legal assistants, paralegals, and literally all defense professionals who will find the program’s content valuable to their work.
If you have questions about the content of this program, 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.