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.
14 - 16
2024 Federal Defender Investigator and Paralegal Seminar (FDIPS)
This two-and-a-half-day seminar will cover a wide range of topics specifically targeted toward investigators, paralegals, and other staff who contribute to defending federal criminal cases. A mix of plenary and concurrent breakout sessions will address areas such as online investigation, BOP issues, sentencing mitigation, mental health, document management and analysis, and offense-specific tips for building a powerful defense. Also, this program will include presentations on issues relevant to all members of the defense team including mitigation specialists and social workers. Finally, this training event will incorporate presentations centered on interpreters and those who perform interpreter duties in their offices or cases, as well as paralegals and investigators who work with bi-lingual clients and staff.
As with all DSOTD programs, there is no registration fee. This seminar is designed for, and attendance is limited to, federal defender staff.
If you have any questions about this seminar, email Joan Politeo at Joan_Politeo@ao.uscourts.gov.
21
Unlocking the Sentencing Guidelines, A Virtual Series - The Framework of the Guidelines
Unlocking the Sentencing Guidelines: A Virtual Series is a comprehensive examination of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The first webinar in this series will explore the framework of the guidelines – see description below.
Subsequent webinars, which will occur monthly, 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.
The Framework of the Guidelines:
Each and every one of us representing individuals in federal court must know and understand the sentencing guidelines better than anyone else in the courtroom. In this session, we will tour the guidelines manual (focusing on Chapter 1), with an eye towards understanding its basic structure and the theories on which it operates. A solid grasp of the guideline basics will reveal there is both room and need for creative sentencing advocacy. It takes understanding this framework, where it is rigid and where it bends, to effectively advocate for the best possible outcomes for our clients.
Presenters:
Amy Rubin joined the Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington & Idaho for the first time in 1999 as a summer intern, followed by a fellowship. After completing a federal clerkship in Atlanta, she returned to the Federal Defenders. Previously, Amy graduated from the University of Colorado in 1995, received her law degree from the University of Montana in 2000. Amy has taught trial advocacy at Emory Law School, various state and federal trial advocacy programs, and has been on the faculty of National Criminal Defense College.
J. Stephen Roberts Jr. is a Trial Attorney at the Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington & Idaho. He graduated from the College of William & Mary and Gonzaga School of Law with honors. After law school, Steve clerked for the Honorable Robert H. Whaley, Senior U.S. District Judge (E.D. Wash.). He transitioned to the Federal Defender’s Office in Spokane as a Fellowship and Trial Attorney from 2014 to present. He is also active in the Federal Bar Association of Eastern Washington, having served as President in 2023.
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.
6 - 7
Fundamentals of Federal Criminal Defense Seminar
This program is designed for those new to federal criminal defense practice and addresses topics such as discovery and motion practice, pleas and proffers, the Bail Reform Act, and the basics of the sentencing guidelines.
The Fundamentals of Federal Criminal Defense program is a 1 1/2 day program, ending at 2:00 PM PT on Friday, June 7, 2024. Fundamentals will occur concurrently with the HYBRID: Winning Strategies Seminar (a 2 1/2 day program), which runs from June 6-8, 2024, at the same hotel. Fundamentals registrants are welcome and invited to stay over and attend the Winning Strategies Seminar. Separate registration is not required; however, when you register for Fundamentals, please answer "yes" to the registration question about whether you also plan to stay and attend Winning Strategies.
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 two weeks following the program.
- In an effort 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.
For those attending in person from FPDOs, the Conference Identification Number (CIN) for this seminar is CONF240025.
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 April 19, 2024.
6 - 8
HYBRID: Winning Strategies Seminar
The two-and-a-half-day Winning Strategies Seminar is offered as a hybrid program (in person and virtual). The seminar brings together a dynamic group of attorneys and other legal professionals to speak on a wide variety of topics, all specifically designed to keep Defenders and CJA practitioners abreast of the most recent and important developments in federal criminal defense. Sessions include both large plenary lectures as well as smaller breakout sessions that meet the specific needs of the advanced practitioner and the less experienced attorney alike. The sessions will include such topics as: Keynote address by Christina Swarns, Innocence Project Director; How to Litigate Geofence Warrants, Black Drivers Have a Problem in Richmond, Virginia: How to Win a Selective Enforcement Claim; Supreme Court Update; Using Body-Worn, Cruiser, and Pole-Mounted Cameras to Your Client’s Advantage During Motions Practice; Combatting AI – Identifying and Challenging AI Applications in Law Enforcement; Obtaining and Effectively Using Cellebrite Data at Trial; Integrating the Science of Adolescent Brain Development into Federal Criminal Practice; and Ethics and Artificial Intelligence.
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 two weeks following the program.
- In an effort 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.
For those attending in person from FPDOs, the Conference Identification Number (CIN) for this seminar is CONF240025.
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 April 19, 2024.
20
Unlocking the Sentencing Guidelines, A Virtual Series: Session 2 - Navigating Relevant Conduct
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 2 – Navigating Relevant Conduct
Relevant Conduct (USSG Section 1B1.3) presents a mindfield for criminal defense practioners. For the unwary, the expansive consideration of a wide-array of conduct may significantly increase your client’s sentence. In this session, the presenter will flag and distill for practitioners relevant conduct concepts such as “reasonably foreseeable acts of others” which may be implicated within the scope of “jointly undertaken criminal activity” or conduct that may be considered as part of a “common scheme and plan.” The presenter will also address how to effectively combat relevant conduct enhancements and the proposed acquitted conduct guideline amendment.
Presenter:
Cherrelle Herbert is an attorney with the National Sentencing Resource Counsel (SRC), a project of the Federal Public and Community Defenders. Prior to working with SRC, Cherrelle worked as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the District of Puerto Rico and as an Assistant Public Defender in Miami-Dade, Florida. Cherrelle earned her J.D. from Cardozo Law School and her B.A. from Stanford University. She is originally from the Virgin Islands, where she now resides. Cherrelle has presented at the National Seminar for Federal Public Defenders, the Multi-Track Federal Criminal Defense Seminar, and for various CJA panels.
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.
18 - 20
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
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.
4 - 9
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.
Mark your calendars, save the date, and don’t miss out!