Convince My Boss – TMI 2024

The benefits of the NAPD Team Mitigation Institute (TMI) are too many to list, here is how to outline them to your boss. Most managers will be concerned about the return on investment—every dollar has to be justified and so does the time away from the office. We can help you make the case. Customize this letter to help your manager understand why the TMI is valuable to you and your organization.
Be sure to outline the sessions that would be most beneficial to your organization. Summarize the total costs including registration, travel and hotel, and any additional expenses.
The registration covers all of the sessions plus break beverages and snacks.
Meals are not included.
We have a hotel room block with the Silver Cloud Hotel Broadway for $229 per night plus taxes and fees. Book your stay here or call 206 325 1400 and ask for “NAPD 2024 Team Mitigation” group rate.
The hotel is .3 miles from the law school where we are holding the institute. Directions
Dear [Boss’s name],
I am writing to request your approval to send a team to the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD)’s Team Mitigation Institute. This intensive training program will be held in person September 6-8, 2024 at Seattle University Law School, Seattle, WA.
Mitigation created by a team of professionals in non-capital cases is increasingly becoming the standard of practice. This bring-your-own-case institute is designed for defense teams to work on the mitigation for a non-capital client. The institute is a mix of presentations followed up by small group work facilitated by experienced faculty. Participants are encouraged to come with their defense team (attorneys, investigators, paralegals, social workers, mitigation specialists and other sentencing advocates).
My participation in the Team Mitigation Institute would significantly benefit our team’s ability to effectively represent our clients. The program offers in-depth training on:
● Advanced Mitigation Strategies: I will learn innovative methods to uncover and present compelling mitigating evidence that can lead to reduced charges or sentences.
● Trauma-Informed Lawyering: This training will equip me to better understand and address the impact of trauma on my clients, strengthening the foundation of their defense.
● Client Collaboration and Storytelling: The program emphasizes effective collaboration with clients to craft a powerful narrative that humanizes their case and resonates with the court.
● Streamlined Workflows: The institute teaches practical mitigation strategies that can save time and resources in the long run. This can lead to a more efficient use of our department’s time and budget.
These skills are directly applicable to our daily work and would allow us to provide even stronger representation for our clients. The Team Mitigation Institute represents a valuable investment in our team’s professional development and ultimately, the success of our office. My enhanced skills will directly translate into improved client service and more favorable outcomes for clients.
To ensure a maximized return on investment, I have already researched the conference. Here is the link to the agenda and information about the faculty and sessions. [Choose which of the following pricing applies to you -The cost of attending and the early bird registration cost (before July 15th) of the conference is $450 for members ($600 for non members) of NAPD. The hotel cost is $229 per night (plus taxes and fees) Travel costs are [insert /flight/mileage and additional expenses].
I would be happy to discuss the Team Mitigation Institute further and answer any questions you may have.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, [Your Name]
Testimonials from prior Team Mitigation Institutes
“Wanted to let you know that we got really great results for our client today, from the case that we brought to the Team Mitigation Institute. Thank you so much for all of your ideas and helping me get motivated, when this seemed like a really difficult, run-of-the-mill bad case. [Our team social worker] also wrote just an incredible social history that I was able to include in my sentencing memo. Our client and her family were over-the-moon after her hearing today. The judge said he has seen maybe 1,000 cases with similar charges and this one is very different; I think you gave us the tools to help him see that.”
“I definitely feel like I came out of those small group sessions with a plan for how to proceed on the case I brought to discuss. I also feel like I have a professional contact with all of the members of my small group now. It was a wonderful experience getting to work with them over the course of several days.”
“That was incredible!!! I learned so much. Thank you!”
“Awesome. Made me want to take more time to get to know my clients.”
“Loved the opportunity to network with attendees AND facilitators. So often I experience at conferences that attendees are not as open to networking with other attendees and the fact that the facilitators were also present was so cool!”
“I was blown away, even though I was a facilitator. I’ve taught at numerous mitigation and sentencing seminars and by far, I got so much from this.”
“I genuinely enjoyed the conference. The topics were highly relevant to my practice and I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned with my office!”