2025 Trainings

For our first training of 2025, Lauren Anderson will discuss opening statement structure, the importance of storytelling techniques, theory paragraph development, dealing with bad facts, and how to attack the prosecution’s case while telling the story of your client’s innocence.

In this webinar Guy Cardamone will cover how to use PowerPoint in a way feels nothing like PowerPoint! He will provide tips for making it easy, engaging, and story driven.

Guy Cardamone is a Supervisory Associate Federal Defender with the Federal Defender Service of Western Wisconsin. He was previously the training director with the Wisconsin State Public Defender. Over his  career in both Wisconsin and Miami, Florida, he has defended the indigent accused of all levels of crimes, from homicide to simple battery. Guy has also taught criminal defense and trial skills nationwide as a faculty member of the Wisconsin, Kentucky, and New Jersey Trial Skills programs, and has presented for NACDL, OACDL, and the Wisconsin Public Defender.

Register >> Here  <<

In this training Kristin LaVoy will provide an overview of various defenses you might want to raise for your client both pre-trial and at trial.

Wayne Roster Members: Meets Tier 1 Requirement

This workshop is a repeat session of the Wayne County Evidentiary Foundations and the first skills session of 2025. It covers the basics of admitting exhibits at trial or hearings.

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 each exercise. Skills hours also count towards regular annual requirements.

Registration is full – please email klavoy@waynecountymi.gov to be placed on the wait list or if you are interested in a future session (in person or virtual)

Erin Van Campen will provide an overview of the common legal issues related to lay witness, including witness lists, the prosecution’s obligation to call endorsed witnesses, hearsay and Confrontation issues related to unavailable witnesses, the authorities allowing you to impeach witnesses, and the rules that apply when a witness asserts privileges. Erin will also share tips and best practices for approaching and interviewing witnesses.

Please join this comprehensive webinar on preliminary examinations including the rules about exams, cases you want to be aware of, skills you should sharpen for exams, and strategy considerations.

Register here for the annual case law update

This session was similar to the 2024 Sentencing Guidelines Showdown but with new hypotheticals. In this training, Kristin LaVoy provides the basics of the sentencing guidelines with an opportunity for participants who attended live to try their fast fingers for a prize. (Those of you watching the recording can play along for fun)

In this training, Cait De Mott Grady will provide a primer on violations of probation. She will cover: VOP procedures, major cases on point, strategy considerations, what happens afterward, and more!

In this training, Ben Gonek gives suggestions on ways to better locate, organize, and use discovery in defending your clients.

For Wayne Roster Attorneys: Meets Tier 1 Requirement

NDS Assistant Supervisor, Ken Riggins and roster attorneys, Matt Dupree, Leanna Belcher, and Tameka Tucker provide real examples of how investigators and or experts assisted them in defending their client. Hear how using the right expert or finding the right evidence made all the difference in getting a favorable result or telling a story of their client’s innocence.

For Wayne Roster: Tier 2 Training Requirement

This presentation will walk participants through the pedagogy of effective closing arguments in criminal cases. We will discuss how the theory of the case, story/narrative construction, and emotional connection interplay to craft effective and persuasive closing arguments.

In this training, Kristin LaVoy covers the basics of admitting evidence into trial. What is required for admission? What hurdles might you face? This seminar is geared at newer attorneys, but all are welcome. (Not recommended for those that have already done the skills workshop as you may find this repetitive.)

In this training, Kristin LaVoy will provide the very basics of cross examination and impeachment. This is geared to new attorneys and interns, but all are welcome. Participation is strongly encouraged.

Register HERE

Many defenders are taught the for-cause method of jury selection at an early point, and know that the primary goal of voir dire should be to identify and remove legally impaired jurors. What many are never taught, however, is the “why” of this method. This presentation will give attendees an overview of the psychology at the root of the for-cause method. Attendees will become more secure in their jury selection approach, develop voir dire techniques that better incorporate basic psychology principles, and will be better equipped to confidently train new defenders in best jury selection practices.

To find the recording for this session please log into sado.org with your CDRC log in.

Register using the QR code on the flyer or this link. This session will be recorded and available for CDRC subscribers.

Approximately 1.5 hours of CLE will be provided. To obtain CLE for this session you can fill out the CLE form sent out by SADO. If you email the form to klavoy@waynecountymi.gov, she will record your attendance in CE Broker for you.

The prosecutor will call a forensic pathologist to testify in nearly every homicide trial. This training will help you examine your case before trial, decide whether you need to retain your own forensic pathologist, and effectively cross examine the government’s pathologist at trial.

Meets Tier 1 & 2 Requirement for Wayne County Roster

Erin will provide an overview of the basic requirements for a valid search warrant. She will also discuss recent decisions from Michigan’s Courts finding search warrants invalid and how defense attorneys can make the most of these decisions by finding similar flaws in the search warrants used in their cases.

Those that primarily practice criminal defense can Register here

Aprox 1.5 Hours CLE

This training is an updated version of the Bail Partnership Agreement training from 2022. It covers the basics of the agreement, bond tips, and goes through hypotheticals using Michigan rules and aspects of the bail agreement. This training is good for CLE through 2028 but would be most helpful for those that have not already watched the previous training on the topic and for those that practice in 36th District Court doing arraignments or bond arguments.

This is the first part of a two part series on ShotSpotter: Part one will explain the creation of Shotspotter, how it functions, and the science behind the technology. Attendees will learn where it is in Detroit, how to read a ShotSpotter report, and what to look out for. Sahar Faraj will present part 1, Jonathan Roberts and Sahar Faraj will present part 2.

Meets Tier 1 Requirement for Wayne MAC

In this training, Sanford Schulman covers ways in which practitioners can apply tips for practicing in federal court to state practice including:

1. Pre-Charge tactics (Federal: Targets)
2. Arraignments
3. Cooperation, Kastigar Agreements
4. Trial issues
5. Presentence investigations
6. Sentencing Memorandum (3553 factors) and more

Kristin and Erin will present practical guidance about how to challenge eyewitness identifications at various stages in the proceedings including at preliminary examinations, pretrial, and at trial. Erin will provide an overview of the legal authorities attorneys should use to suppress flawed identifications and Kristin will share strategies and tips attorneys should use to undermine identification evidence presented at trial.

This session is part of the 2025 orientation requirements for those applying to the roster for the first time. It could also be helpful to those that are new to practice in Wayne County or interested in practicing Wayne. Jackie Pilcowitz will cover strategies and processes for negotiation in Wayne.

Cathy Bennett will present on theory of the case and how it is everything. She will talk about how there are three key parts of theory including the legal, emotional, and factual aspects of it and how you need all three. She will cover strategies in theory creation such as how to be creative with theory and how to enlist your client’s help in developing a theory.

In this training, Raquel Guzman will discuss the purpose and importance of interpreters, how to identify the need for an interpreter, and best practices for working with interpreters.

In this training, Kristin LaVoy will cover advanced guidelines topics. This session is geared for those that already know the basics but are looking for tips on more difficult aspects of guidelines. If you are new to guidelines, please check out one of our other guidelines sessions first. I would recommend this one.

This part will cover litigation strategies both pretrial and at trial.