Office of Defender Services
Legal, Policy and Training Division
TRAINING BRANCH
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TRAINING PROGRAMS
Welcome to our training page. The programs described below are Training Branch events designed for appointed counsel, and other professionals who assist appointed counsel, in federal criminal cases. Registration for each of these programs is free. The page is divided into programs for panel attorneys, programs for federal defender staff (which are coordinated through the Federal Judicial Center), and programs for both panel attorneys and federal defender staff. In addition, at the bottom of the page we have included links to training events offered by Federal Defender or Community Defender organizations, and organizations such as the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Panel Attorney Programs
Federal Defender Programs
Combined Federal Defender Staff and Private CJA Practitioners Programs
Death Penalty & Habeas Programs
Training Programs Offered by Other Organizations
PANEL ATTORNEY PROGRAMS  
WINNING STRATEGIES SEMINAR
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - JUNE 12-14, 2008
Contact: Karen_W_Holsendorff@ao.uscourts.gov
Register Here
Draft Agenda
Financial Assistance Application

Winning Strategies offers both new and experienced panel attorneys the opportunity to attend presentations on criminal defense topics of interest in both large and small group settings. The presentations focus on the nuts and bolts of federal criminal practice including the sentencing guidelines, sentencing mitigation, and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Sessions focusing on the impact of cases such as Rita, Booker and Crawford, and Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendment issues are also included. In addition, participants can expect presentations on trial skills such as cross examination, defending gang cases and attacking wiretap evidence. Also included are presentations on the use of technology in the courtroom and an explanation of CJA guidelines and procedures.
LAW AND TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP
PORTLAND, OREGON - JULY 24-26, 2008
Contact: Karen_W_Holsendorff@ao.uscourts.gov
Register Here
The Law and Technology Workshop focuses on the use of modern technology to improve the persuasiveness of courtroom presentations. This workshop is an intensive program where participants will learn to use Trial Director and PowerPoint products to sharpen their courtroom skills. Attendees will enhance their direct-examination, cross-examination, and closing argument abilities with detailed application and use of these litigation tools. Today, many federal courtrooms are “wired” to accommodate the latest computer programs, and this technology has proven to be an effective and persuasive addition to lawyers’ arsenals. Participation in the Law and Technology Workshop is particularly valuable for federal criminal defense attorneys.

In order to participate in this program, participants are required to provide their own laptop computers. General presentations and demonstrations are supplemented by concentrated small group workshops. In the smaller breakout groups, attendees receive hands-on guidance to apply the information presented in the plenary sessions using facts from a mock case file. Each participant will practice direct and cross-examination, and closing arguments, using Trial Director and PowerPoint software.
FEDERAL DEFENDER PROGRAMS
FEDERAL DEFENDER CAPITAL HABEAS CORPUS UNIT CONFERENCE
FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - APRIL 2-4, 2008
Register Here
Contact: Chastain_Smith@ao.uscourts.gov
DRAFT AGENDA
This annual conference is produced for lawyers in federal defender organizations which have Capital Habeas Corpus Units (CHU). This program is designed to address issues in the specialized area of federal capital habeas corpus practice. This event typically includes a mix of substantive legal topics and management concerns which are unique to capital indigent defense lawyers in CHUs. The sessions are typically presented over several days as plenary lectures, panel discussions, small breakout groups and workshops which focus on necessary litigation skills for CHU attorneys.
SEMINAR FOR FEDERAL DEFENDER INVESTIGATORS AND PARALEGALS
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 9-11, 2008
For more information regarding this program, including registration materials, contact Chuck Arberg at the Federal Judicial Center at (202) 502-4050 or e-mail him at carberg@fjc.gov
Draft Agenda
This seminar is held annually in conjunction with the National Defender Investigator Association (NDIA) for Federal Defender investigator and paralegal employees. The NDIA programming includes a “federal breakout track” to provide a variety of topics of interest to those working on federal criminal cases. Topics covered include forensic science, selected issues of federal substantive and sentencing law, crime scene investigation, interviewing techniques, and report writing.
NATIONAL SEMINAR FOR FEDERAL DEFENDERS (AKA, “ADVANCED FEDERAL DEFENDER SEMINAR”)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MAY 28-30, 2008
For more information regarding this program, including registration materials, contact Chuck Arberg at the Federal Judicial Center at (202) 502-4050 or e-mail him at carberg@fjc.gov
This seminar is held annually and is designed for assistant federal defenders who have been practicing criminal law a minimum of three years. It includes a mix of topics on substantive federal criminal law, trial tactics, evidence, computer technology, ethics, and sentencing issues. The topics are presented in both plenary and breakout sessions.
SENTENCING WORKSHOP FOR FEDERAL DEFENDERS
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 6-8, 2008
For more information regarding this program, including registration materials, contact Chuck Arberg at the Federal Judicial Center at (202) 502-4050 or e-mail him at carberg@fjc.gov
This annual national workshop brings together attorneys from offices across the country who have agreed to act as resources within their own districts. Strategies for success in advocating for just sentences for clients are the focus of discussions. There will be a mix of plenary and small group sessions.
LAW AND TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR FOR FEDERAL DEFENDER STAFF
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 8-10, 2008
For more information regarding this program, including registration materials, contact Chuck Arberg at the Federal Judicial Center at (202) 502-4050 or e-mail him at carberg@fjc.gov
This seminar is designed for teams from federal defender offices and participants include attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and computer systems administrators. It aims to give the participating teams knowledge of the computer-based technology that is available to make a powerful trial presentation. The program also seeks to develop, from the outset of a case, a cohesive working relationship between attorneys, CSAs, investigators, and paralegals.
ORIENTATION SEMINAR FOR ASSISTANT FEDERAL DEFENDERS
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO - NOVEMBER 17-21, 2008
For more information regarding this program, including registration materials, contact Chuck Arberg at the Federal Judicial Center at (202) 502-4050 or e-mail him at carberg@fjc.gov
This seminar for new assistant federal defenders includes a mix of topics on substantive federal criminal law, sentencing issues, trial tactics, evidence, and computer technology. Most topics are presented in plenary lectures while some are offered in breakout sessions.
COMBINED FEDERAL DEFENDER STAFF AND PRIVATE CJA PRACTITIONERS PROGRAMS
PARALEGAL & INVESTIGATOR SKILLS WORKSHOP
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 26-28, 2008
Contact: Karen_W_Holsendorff@ao.uscourts.gov
**REGISTER HERE**
Draft Agenda
The Paralegal and Investigator Skills Workshop is a hands-on program providing intensive training in several skills (e.g., interviewing, writing, case management/organization, document analysis, locating records and witnesses) that are essential to the daily work of paralegals and investigators in federal defender offices or assigned to CJA panel cases. The program is designed to give participants the opportunity to learn by doing, using a combination of plenary sessions and interactive small group breakouts. In the small groups, participants practice the skills introduced in the plenary sessions, using the facts of a model case. Please note that, due to the workshop format of this program, participants will be required to attend all sessions. Registration will be limited to approximately 70 participants and strict priority in registration will be given to applicants who did not attend this workshop in 2007.
MULTI-TRACK FEDERAL CRIMINAL DEFENSE SEMINAR
DATES AND LOCATION TBD
Contact: Karen_W_Holsendorff@ao.uscourts.gov
The Multi-Track Federal Criminal Defense Seminar is designed to offer in depth instruction in a variety of substantive criminal topic areas. Several of the tracks will be presented in four distinct hour-long time blocks. The sessions will be presented on Thursday and then repeated on Friday. This design will allow seminar participants the opportunity to attend two of the separate tracks. On Saturday, seminar participants will have the opportunity to select from four additional topics. In addition to the above-referenced tracks, the seminar will also include plenary sessions addressing topics of general interest and importance to criminal defense practitioners, along with the opportunity to attend small group breakouts covering a variety of substantive criminal defense issues. Registration for this program will open once exact dates and location have been determined.
TRAINING PROGRAMS OFFERED BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Financial Assistance for Trial Skills Training
Association of Federal Defense Attorneys (AFDA)
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
National Criminal Defense College (NCDC)
National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA)
National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA)
The Institute for Criminal Defense Advocacy (ICDA)
Western Trial Advocacy Institute (WTAI)
National Defender Investigator Association (NDIA)
Office of Defender Services/Training Branch, Administrative Office of the United States Courts * One Columbus Circle, N.E. * Suite G-430 * Washington, DC 20544 Phone (202) 502-2900 * Hotline (800) 788-9908 * Fax (202) 502-2911