Sequestration has had a severe impact on the Defender Services budget.  The impact includes a  reduction in our training budget of approximately 50% for the 2013 fiscal year, which ends on September 30th.  Congress's recent passage of a spending measure to keep the government financed through September, 2013 continues the budget reductions that were implemented during sequestration.  As a result of the reduction in our budget, the Seminar for Federal Defender Paralegals and Investigators, and the National Seminar for Federal Defenders have been canceled.  Please check fd.org periodically for information on training events that will be held in fiscal year 2014 (October, 2013 through September, 2014).