Mr. Dimaya was a lawful permanent resident, who pled guilty to residential burglary, and an Immigration Judge determined that his convictions were “crime[s] of violence” under 18 U.S.C. § 16 (b), thus making him removable from the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Supreme Court held that 16(b) was unconstitutionally vague. What does this decision mean for other noncitizen defendants facing criminal and non-criminal grounds of removal? What about those who are charged with illegal reentry based on a crime of violence conviction? In this 4th part of the Dimaya webinar series, we will discuss the immigration implications of Dimaya, review recent circuit court and Board of Immigration appeals cases, and provide strategies for defending noncitizens against criminal prosecutions in light of this and other recent Supreme Court decisions.

In the digital era, knowledge about managing, reviewing, and analyzing electronic discovery or voluminous discovery is a critical skill for criminal defense attorneys.  In fact, the first principle of the national joint electronic discovery protocol developed by representatives of the Department of Justice, Federal Public Defenders, CJA panel attorneys, and the Defender Services Office reflects this trend in the law: “[l]awyers have a responsibility to have an adequate understanding of electronic discovery.”  (See, ESI Protocol)  This is a position that the ABA has adopted. See, Commentary to Model Rule of Professional Responsibility 1.1.

The Law & Technology Series: Techniques in Electronic Case Management (TECM) Workshop exposes CJA panel attorneys and FDO staff to the legal, strategic, and technological considerations involved with electronic and/or voluminous discovery.  This two-and-a-half-day program uses a combination of plenary presentations and small group, hands-on instruction.  Besides gaining an understanding of the legal, practical, and technological considerations in these types of federal criminal cases, participants will learn basic and advanced features of three litigation support software programs (Adobe Acrobat Pro, dtSearch, and CaseMap/TimeMap suite).  Attendees will better understand how legal litigation support programs work, and how to coordinate thoughtful workflow processes with co-counsel, staff, and potential vendors. They will also improve their overall ability to master case information, in order to better prepare a defense.

The Train the Trainers (TTT) 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 staff, as well as 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 persuasive presentation techniques and methodologies. The workshop is open to CJA Attorneys, federal defender staff (Assistant Federal Defenders, Research and Writing Specialists, Computer Systems Administrators, Paralegals, and Investigators) and others who provide services under the CJA. All participants must bring a laptop loaded with presentation software to the workshop. Prior to the beginning of the program, each participant is required to provide an outline of a presentation. Registration is limited to a total of 40 people. Limited financial assistance may be available to non-federal defender registrants for travel expenses.