Past 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 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

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, 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!

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)

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)

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

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

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.

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.

Defense team members may register here (If you prosecute in any capacity, do not register).