2024 Trainings

• What is “rape shield?”
• How do prosecutors argue it to prevent your client from presenting their defense
• How to break through that “shield’ to effectively represent your clients

Meets Tier 2 Course for applying to Wayne County roster.

To mount a strong defense, it is essential for legal professionals to move beyond their desks and gain a firsthand understanding of the crime scene. This course will equip defenders with the necessary skills to conduct effective crime scene visits and leverage the power of photogrammetry in defense of their clients. Professor David Moran Presenting

RESCHEDULED EVENT

Joanna Schwartz is Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law and one of the country’s leading experts on police misconduct litigation. https://law.ucla.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/joanna-c-schwartz.

Professor Schwartz is the author of Shielded, How the Police Became Untouchable. The book is an examination of how the legal system prevents accountability for police misconduct. Her scholarship includes articles empirically examining the justifications for the qualified immunity doctrine; the financial impact of settlements and judgments on federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and agency budgets; and regional variation in civil rights protections across the country.

Come and hear the author speak about the topic and her book. Light refreshments will be provided.

The book may be purchased in advance here:  https://www.sourcebooksellersonline.com/shielded-how-the-police-became-untouchable-joanna.html

Please email klavoy@ndsdetroit.org to save your spot!

This seminar show how to use the “6 levels of validation” as a tool to better communicate with our clients and strengthen our client relationships. This tool can also be used with juries, judges, and even prosecutors.

This brown bag will cover best practices when representing a client at a line up or show up proceeding. Learn which objections you can make, practical tips to ensure a fair lineup or show up, and the process for signing up in Wayne County.

Most often the witnesses that you cross examine are not on your side, have their own agenda, and may not answer the questions you ask.  During this training, you will learn how to identify and control this type of witness and allow your theory and story of the case to prevail.

Research Attorney Erin Van Campen will provide an overview of how to research legal issues and the resources you can use to do it. She will share helpful tips and demonstrate how to find answers to some frequently asked questions.

Dr. Colin King will present on brain injury as well as the correlations amongst substance abuse, brain injury, and mental illness. He will also discuss implications for sentencing.

This repeat session will cover the basics of admitting exhibits at trial or hearings.

SESSION FULL- email klavoy@ndsdetroit.org to be added to waitlist

Brought to you by: Wayne County Training, the LA County Public Defender’s Office, and the Vermont Office of the Defender General.

We have likely all had clients arrested in possession of, or in the vicinity of, a firearm. Crime lab reports we receive back can be the final nail in the coffin of our client’s innocence. But despite the veneer of science coating these reports and the “experts” who prepare them and testify against our clients in court, there is no reason to put any faith in the conclusions reached in the field of firearms examination.

This training will review and explain admissibility of firearms examination, and prepare you to identify cases where such challenges are necessary and appropriate.

2 hours of Annual CLE provided, Meets Tier 1 Requirement for Wayne County application

Come on down…. the guidelines are right! Don’t be the Weakest Link! This training is a sentencing guidelines refresher, but with a twist. It will be played trivia style using Mentimeter.

Please join for a webinar covering tips, tools, and strategy considerations for direct examinations.

Topic covered:

• Finding, investigating, and choosing your witnesses
• Organizing and executing your direct
• Tips for direct examinations of experts, civilians, and your client
• Prepping your witness
• Common pitfalls and worst case scenario

….And more!

Social Workers in the criminal defense setting are becoming more common in Michigan and across the country. But when should you request a social worker? Come to this training lead by the Wayne County Defender Support Unit to learn what social workers really do in this role, how they can enhance your team, and when to bring them onto a case. See examples of work product and hear stories of how the involvement of a social worker has improved case outcomes.

This training is appropriate for all defense attorneys, not only MAC attorneys. However, the last 30 minutes will be dedicated to the specific process for requesting a social worker through IDSD.

This session is part of the orientation series (required for new applicants). Therefore, it is geared towards new lawyers or those new to practice in Wayne County. This webinar covers what to expect at each step of the proceeding when representing a client in Wayne County. It will cover visiting clients, requesting discovery, what to expect at each court hearing, and more practical practice tips.

This webinar is an updated version of the 2022 pretrial notices training. Erin Van Campen will provide an overview of important rules and deadlines for witness lists and pretrial notices required by Michigan’s statutes and court rules.

(This webinar is part of the orientation series and aimed at newer attorneys, but all defense team members are welcome)

This webinar is an updated version of the 2022 discovery training and part of the orientation series. While it is aimed at those new to practice, or new to practice in Michigan, all defense team members are welcome. Kristin LaVoy will provide an overview of discovery rules in Michigan including what kinds of discovery you should request, and be entitled to, and what we are required to turn over under the reciprocal discovery rules.

There will be a Mentimeter quiz at the end for a prize for those that attend live.

The concept of Kink Aware Practice is one that is gaining ground within the Mental Health community and more and more practitioners are seeking out information about BDSM and kink. But legal professionals may know little about this concept or what they should be aware of when representing clients that are part of the BDSM and kink community. This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the BDSM and kink community. Beginning with a 101-style introduction to BDSM before delving into topics ranging from intersectionality within the kink community and the research on kink as a sexual orientation.

The DPD just entered into a landmark settlement with the ACLU regarding its use of facial recognition. This training will explain in detail how both DPD and other law enforcement agencies use facial recognition in criminal investigations generally and how they generate information that is likely Giglio/Brady material in many instances. The training will carefully explain the impact of the Detroit settlement for criminal defendants both in Detroit and beyond.

Kristin will provide an overview of the elements of and common defenses to CCW, FIP, and FF. Her presentation will cover how these offenses are often charged together and how that can impact sentencing. Kristin will also discuss the recent changes expanding the scope of the FIP statute to include domestic violence misdemeanors. She will also provide practical tips for representing clients charged with one or more of these offenses. This is the first in a series of three webinars addressing common issues in gun cases. Defense attorneys and defense team members are welcome to attend any or all webinars in the series.

Erin will provide an overview of the most common 4th Amendment challenges that arise in gun cases. This will include a summary of the legal requirements for police to stop, frisk, and search your clients, their cars, and other protected areas. Erin will also share some practical tips for litigating 4th Amendment issues and highlight recent helpful decisions from the Michigan Supreme Court.

This session will provide an overview of the recent Supreme Court decision in NY Rifle & Pistol Assoc, Inc v Bruen, and related 2nd Amendment decisions in the federal courts. Jonathan and Erin will discuss how you can raise 2nd Amendment challenges to Michigan’s gun laws and will highlight the most promising challenges in Michigan. This session will also cover tips for how to litigate these law reform issues in your gun cases.

This is a repeat session of our Evidentiary Foundations workshop.  This workshop is geared for newer attorneys or those that would like some practice admitting exhibits at pretrial hearings or trial. Because this is a skills session it will not be recorded. To obtain skills credit, you must be on time with your camera on. You will be required to participate and try your hand at moving for admission.