NHACDL will hold its spring CLE content on two dates, with 180 minutes of anticipated content each (60 minutes of ethics in June), via Zoom. You can register seperately or for both at a reduced cost.
Friday, May 21 - COVID Litigation
The COVID-19 pandemic is not over and its impact on the criminal justice system is far from complete. The first segment of this CLE will begin at 1 p.m. It will be a panel discussion by attorneys who have had recent federal and state trials in NH. They will discuss what was different, what stayed the same, opportunities to seize upon and pitfalls to avoid. The panel will be led by Federal Defender Eric Wolpin and he will be joined by John Newman and Matt Zahn.
The second segment will cover voir dire in today's environment. Individual voir dire has been available in recent trials because of COVID protocols. This segment will discuss voir dire strategies and practices in general and also include individual voir dire advice for this day and age. The speakers in this segment are Steve Mirkin, Margaret Kettles and Jason Novak.
The third segment will be presented by James McDermott, Chief Public Defender of the Far West Texas Regional Public Defender. James will discuss the benefits of video hearings as well as when it's best to oppose them. In his large area of coverage in Texas, his office has had extensive use of video hearings and he and his staff have discovered numerous nuances and strategies that are helpful for the defense. He will also discuss nuts and bolts of effective advocacy on camera that he has developed after consulting with TV and film directors and producers.
Speaker bios HERE.
Friday, June 18 - Substance Use Disorder
One thing is for sure, substance use disorder has not gone away during the pandemic. Finding help for clients and making ethical decisions about litigation and treatment are ongoing daily challenges for the defense bar. This CLE will also begin at 1 p.m.
The first speakers will be Sarah Landres and John Burns. They will discuss using the science of addiction medicine, strategies of harm reduction, and the framework of public health in defending clients with substance use disorder.
Kerry Nolte of the New Hamphire Harm Reduction Coalition will then cover how to redirect narratives toward trauma as the gateway to substance use to better assist the substance use community. She will also review New Hampshire's syringe services program data and provide legislative updates.
The third segment of this CLE will be an ethics panel focusing on issues that arise in substance use disorder cases. Christine List will lead this panel joined by Tony Naro and Kevin O'Keefe.
Speaker bios HERE.