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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260303T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260303T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260206T221515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T155353Z
UID:10000612-1772546400-1772550000@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:AI-Powered Discovery to Strategy: Turn Evidence Overload into Winning Defense\, presented by NICE
DESCRIPTION:Juggling growing discovery volumes\, tight deadlines\, and increasingly complex digital evidence? For public defenders\, the burden isn’t just collecting evidence — it’s turning it into a coherent defense. Join us for this webinar on March 3rd\, at 2 PM EST to see how workflow-embedded AI can help you accelerate understanding\, surface critical facts and inconsistencies across evidence\, and move more quickly from discovery to strategy — without compromising client advocacy. \n\nLearn how to:\n\n· Review discovery faster and more accurately by quickly surfacing key facts across large volumes of digital evidence.\n· Create clear\, defensible timelines by linking people\, places\, objects\, and events across evidence sources.\n· Draft motions\, briefs\, and arguments confidently with transparent citations\, verification loops\, and safeguards that preserve your professional judgment.\n· Prepare evidence for disclosure or court with clarity\, completeness\, and confidence.\n· Maintain trust and accountability using critical guardrails — audit trails\, role-based access\, records integrity\, policy alignment\, and AI that operates entirely within your organization’s secure environment.\n\nMove from discovery to strategy faster\, reduce backlogs\, and strengthen client advocacy — without compromising the principles of effective public defense. \nPresenters\nRod Guy\nVice President\, Business Development\nNiCE \nShelly Williams\nDirector of Product Management\nNiCE \nKelsey Kaufman Robinson\nSenior Product Mgr.\nNiCE \n \nPRIVACY NOTICE: This is a presentation from an NAPD sponsor.  Registration is managed directly by NiCE Justice Services.  Completing the registration form will provide your information to a third party. \nwww.nicepublicsafety.com \n\nNiCE is pleased to make available information on products and services that may be of interest to you in your organization or career. 
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/nice-justice-solutions/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2026/02/nice_truth_depends_on_it.png
LOCATION:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260304T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260304T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260226T183207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T183208Z
UID:10000579-1772625600-1772629200@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Social Worker Meetup: A discussion about Specialty Courts
DESCRIPTION:This week’s social worker meetup will explore the roles we play in Specialty Courts (Family Treatment Courts\, Recovery Courts\, Veterans Courts\, etc.) and the roles that Specialty Courts play in diversion and how they may either support or impact the clients with whom we work. Take a look at this blog post from the Prison Policy Initiative that examines some of the problems in specialty courts as these affect the persons involved in these court alternatives\, and we will discuss our experience and ways we may support clients to counteract the problems where possible. \nStephanne Cline Thornton is a West Virginia native who has worked in and around criminal defense and mitigation for more than 20 years in Georgia\, Colorado\, and West Virginia. She is currently the Clinical Director for the West Virginia Judicial and Lawyer Assistance Program\, and owner of Transform Legal\, a consultancy focused on mitigation\, training\, and sustainability. As a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Master Addiction Counselor\, Stephanne focuses on proper assessment for and access to trauma and substance use disorder treatment to ensure the health and well-being of affected individuals. Stephanne is on the Trauma-Informed Care Network Speakers Bureau and uses that platform to call attention to the intersection of secondary traumatic stress and legal practice. She approaches her work with clients\, lawyers\, social workers\, and mitigation specialists through a contextualized mitigation lens.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-worker-meetup-3/
LOCATION:Virtual\, Virtual Event
CATEGORIES:Meetup
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260304T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260304T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260211T152725Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T152726Z
UID:10000503-1772640000-1772643600@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Policy and Legislative Meet-Up
DESCRIPTION:This 60-minute virtual gathering is designed as a practical\, working session—not a webinar. Together\, we will:\n\nWorkshop active campaigns involving statutes\, rules\, budget advocacy\, and administrative reforms.\nExchange model bill language\, fiscal notes\, one-pagers\, and testimony templates.\nCoordinate strategy on messaging\, media engagement\, coalition building\, and storytelling from impacted communities.\nNavigate ethics constraints\, including 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) boundaries and public-sector limitations.\nTranslate courtroom experience and client narratives into persuasive\, data-informed advocacy.\nShare tools for rapid-response efforts during moments of crisis or legislative rollback.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/policy-and-legislative-meet-up-2-2/2026-03-04/
LOCATION:Virtual\, Virtual Event
CATEGORIES:Meetup
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T140000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260128T201607Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260206T174854Z
UID:10000600-1773147600-1773151200@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:DEIJ/Racial Justice MeetUp featuring Guest Presenter
DESCRIPTION:Details TBA.  Meetup events are exclusive to NAPD members.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/deij-racial-justice-webinar-series/2026-03-10/
LOCATION:Virtual\, Virtual Event
CATEGORIES:Meetup
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2026/01/DEI-RJ-Meetup.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260309T160332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T160332Z
UID:10000627-1773237600-1773241200@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Investigator Supervisors - What kind of training do we need?
DESCRIPTION:We will be joined by Amber Kaset to talk about what sort of training as supervisors of our investigative team would be needed and wanted. Just like in A.I. it’s all about the prompting\, so we will provide some ideas and look forward to yours as well. Let’s plan what is needed together! \n\nAmber Kaset is widely recognized for her leadership in criminal defense investigations and investigator training\, with more than 20 years of experience as a private investigator and mitigation specialist. She founded AK Investigations in 2010 after seven years at the Metropolitan Public Defender in Nashville\, where she worked as a criminal defense investigator and interpreter.\nThroughout her career\, Amber has worked on more than 1\,000 cases spanning a broad spectrum of criminal and civil matters. Her experience includes serious felony cases across a wide range of offenses\, including sex crimes\, homicides\, and federal prosecutions\, with work at both the trial and post-conviction levels in capital and non-capital cases. She has participated in numerous death penalty cases across multiple states\, including cases involving foreign nationals from Latin America\, and partners with the Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program (MCLAP)\, local innocence organizations\, the National Innocence Project\, public defender offices\, and private defense attorneys to support clients facing the most serious charges. \nWhat began as a one-woman practice has grown under Amber’s leadership into a multi-investigator firm with diverse skills and specialties. In addition to casework\, Amber provides investigative services\, training\, and consulting nationwide\, helping defense teams and investigators strengthen case development and elevate investigative standards. She regularly teaches and presents at national conferences and trainings for investigators\, attorneys\, paralegals\, and defense teams\, and has taught investigative practice to law students and other audiences at universities including Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee\, Knoxville. She is known for delivering thoughtful\, high-quality\, defense-centered support tailored to the unique needs of each case.\nAmber is the founder of AK Investigations and the creator of The Investigative Expert Method\, an online training platform for criminal defense investigators and other members of the defense team.\nFor more information\, visitwww.akinvestigations.com andwww.investigativeexpertmethod.com. \nJONATHAN “Jon” LYON is currently the Investigator Resource Coordinator\, past Member Support Coordinator and the national survey investigator for National Association for Public Defense. Since the pandemic he has led roughly 200 meetups for investigators both nationally and internationally. Jon is the president of Lyon Legal Logistics to help attorneys in and out of court with Discovery and technology and has assisted attorneys in multiple federal court jurisdictions (www.lyonlegallogistics.com/). \nHe is also a legal investigator for McClain Investigations. Jon began his investigative background working in a PI firm and then for 12 years for the Office of the State Appellate Defender of Illinois. His primary focus has been on post-conviction death penalty cases. In addition\, Jon worked for LexisNexis as an award-winning national trainer of the Case Map suite of software. He also worked for Lockheed Martin as a contractor supporting government attorneys and investigators with software and electronic discovery support needs. He is a Certified Defense Investigator through DePaul’s Center for Justice in Capital Cases and a Certified Trainer through the Bureau of Justice Assistance. He has taught at the Clarence Darrow Death Penalty Defense College\, Cardoza\, DePaul\, Kent\, Iowa\, and University of Michigan law schools.\nHe has also taught at the National Defense Investigator Associations Annual Conferences\, National Association of Legal Investigators annual conference\, National Association for Public Defense\, The Innocence Project\, NACDL\, Federal Defender’s winning strategies conferences\, Life in the Balance\, American Society of Criminology\, US Army\, Intellenet and numerous state and county public defender conferences. It is not unheard of for Jon to be invited back to conferences. Jon was most recently interviewed on “Public Defenseless” episode #99. Jon is the Creator/Webmaster for the internationally utilized website www.internetsleuth.net.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-supervisors-what-kind-of-training-do-we-need/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/investigator-supervisors-what-kind-of-training-do-we-need/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260211T152725Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T152726Z
UID:10000504-1773244800-1773248400@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Policy and Legislative Meet-Up
DESCRIPTION:This 60-minute virtual gathering is designed as a practical\, working session—not a webinar. Together\, we will:\n\nWorkshop active campaigns involving statutes\, rules\, budget advocacy\, and administrative reforms.\nExchange model bill language\, fiscal notes\, one-pagers\, and testimony templates.\nCoordinate strategy on messaging\, media engagement\, coalition building\, and storytelling from impacted communities.\nNavigate ethics constraints\, including 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) boundaries and public-sector limitations.\nTranslate courtroom experience and client narratives into persuasive\, data-informed advocacy.\nShare tools for rapid-response efforts during moments of crisis or legislative rollback.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/policy-and-legislative-meet-up-2-2/2026-03-11/
LOCATION:Virtual\, Virtual Event
CATEGORIES:Meetup
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260128T172209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T184708Z
UID:10000569-1773324000-1773327600@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:The Defender Wellness Collective MeetUp\, Featuring: Terri Collins-Green\, LCSW-C
DESCRIPTION:Together\, We Are the Culture \nAs we build this community\, remember that culture is not imposed; It is grown. \n“You are essential. You are worth sustaining.” \nYou’re not alone. \nLet’s walk this road together\, building a culture of wellness for everyone in public defense. \n  \nLink the NAPD 10 Principles of Sustainability
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/the-defender-wellness-collective-meetup-3/
CATEGORIES:Meetup
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260316T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260316T140000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20250826T191306Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T174806Z
UID:10000444-1773666000-1773669600@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:ADHD and the Criminal Justice System: A Forensic Neuroscience and Neurocriminological Perspective
DESCRIPTION:Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric disorder distinguished by impulsivity\, hyperactivity\, and inattention. Typically emerging during childhood\, these symptoms can persist into adulthood and contribute to social\, occupational\, and behavioral problems. These behavioral problems can include criminal justice-involvement\, as ADHD is disproportionately likely in this context relative to the general population. Further\, the symptoms of ADHD make it difficult to navigate the rules and procedures of the criminal justice system\, from courtroom settings to community supervision. Without accurate assessment and effective treatment\, individuals with ADHD may be at risk for reoffending and long-term criminal justice-involvement. Designed for legal and mental health professionals\, this innovative training introduces the symptoms\, etiology (including prenatal and postnatal neurobiopsychosocial risk factors)\, co-occurring conditions\, and consequences of ADHD. Attendees will learn how to apply key learning objectives during interviews\, screening and assessment\, and interventions. Increased awareness of ADHD’s role in offending has the potential to reduce recidivism\, ensure fairness\, and promote public safety. Cutting-edge research from forensic neuroscience and neurocriminology will be highlighted throughout the training. \n\n\n\n\nJerrod Brown\, Ph.D.\, M.A.\, M.S.\, M.S.\, M.S.\, is a professor\, trainer\, researcher\, and consultant with multiple years of experience teaching collegiate courses. Jerrod is also the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS). Jerrod has also provided consultation services to a number of caregivers\, professionals\, and organizations pertaining to topics related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD)\, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)\, confabulation\, suggestibility\, trauma and other life adversities\, alexithymia\, executive dysfunction\, criminal recidivism\, traumatic brain injury (TBI)\, and youth firesetting. Jerrod has completed four separate master’s degree programs and holds graduate certificates in Neuroscience and the Law\, Neuropsychology\, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)\, Other Health Disabilities (OHD)\, and Traumatic-Brain Injuries (TBI). In 2021\, Jerrod completed a post-doctoral certificate in Leadership and Organizational Strategy from Walden University and a Professional Certificate in Forensic Psychology from San Diego State University Global Campus. In 2023\, Jerrod completed a diabetes care and education certificate from Central Arizona College. Currently\, Jerrod is pursuing his fifth master’s degree in Applied Clinical Nutrition from Northeast College of Health Sciences.Jerrod has also conducted over 300 workshops\, webinars\, and on-demand trainings for various organizations and professional and student audiences. Jerrod has published several articles and book chapters\, and recently\, co-edited the book Forensic Mental Health: A Source Guide for Professionals (Brown & Weinkauf\, 2018) with ErvWeinkauf. Jerrod has also been quoted in various magazines\, newspapers\, and other professional outlets. Jerrod is also regularly featured on several national and international podcast programs.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/adhd-and-the-criminal-justice-system/
CATEGORIES:Webinar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2025/08/ADHD-and-the-Criminal-Justice-System-U-Webinar.png
LOCATION:https://publicdefenders.us/event/adhd-and-the-criminal-justice-system/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260211T152725Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T152726Z
UID:10000505-1773849600-1773853200@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Policy and Legislative Meet-Up
DESCRIPTION:This 60-minute virtual gathering is designed as a practical\, working session—not a webinar. Together\, we will:\n\nWorkshop active campaigns involving statutes\, rules\, budget advocacy\, and administrative reforms.\nExchange model bill language\, fiscal notes\, one-pagers\, and testimony templates.\nCoordinate strategy on messaging\, media engagement\, coalition building\, and storytelling from impacted communities.\nNavigate ethics constraints\, including 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) boundaries and public-sector limitations.\nTranslate courtroom experience and client narratives into persuasive\, data-informed advocacy.\nShare tools for rapid-response efforts during moments of crisis or legislative rollback.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/policy-and-legislative-meet-up-2-2/2026-03-18/
LOCATION:Virtual\, Virtual Event
CATEGORIES:Meetup
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260319
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260321
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20251110T175806Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T194813Z
UID:10000470-1773878400-1774051199@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:NAPD Rise. Resist. Represent. 2026
DESCRIPTION:This event has concluded.  If you attended R3\, you are still able to purchase a Certificate of Attendance HERE.  Please be sure to confirm the name and email address of the recipient in the order notes.\nhttps://publicdefenders.us/product/r3-rise-resist-represent-2026/ \n  \n\nThe National Public Defense Virtual Training Event will provide over a dozen topic areas to provide to the wide variety of professions and practice areas in public defense across the country. There will be skills training\, but also opportunities to explore innovations\, systemic litigation\, development research projects – and to network with thousands of colleagues who champion the right to counsel and for the opportunity and dignity of their clients.\nRecordings will be available shortly after the conference. We will be recording at least 90% of the sessions. Those not to be recorded will be noted in the description.\nCheck out the full 2026 Agenda! \nClick here purchase tickets through Eventbrite\n  \nEARLY BIRD PRICING (Before Jan 19\, 2026) \n\n$90 NAPD Member Ticket\n$125 Standard Ticket (non-member)\n$65 each ticket – Bulk purchase of 5-100\n$40 each ticket – Bulk purchase of 101 and above*\n\nJan 19 -March 20\, 2026 \n\n$125 NAPD Member Ticket\n$175 Standard Ticket (non-member)\n$100 each ticket – Bulk purchase of 5-100\n$75 each ticket – Bulk purchase of 101 and above*\n\n*Bulk purchases of over 100 tickets are not supported by Eventbrite. To place a large bulk order\, please contact us at: events@publicdefenders.us \nCheck out some of the past conference schedules: \nR3 Conference 2025 Schedule \nR3 Conference 2024 Schedule \nR3 Conference 2023 Schedule \nR3 Conference 2022 Schedule
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/r3-2026/
LOCATION:Virtual\, Virtual Event
CATEGORIES:Virtual Conference
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260325T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260325T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260324T125642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T125643Z
UID:10000621-1774440000-1774443600@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Social Worker Meetup
DESCRIPTION:In this social worker meetup (for social workers\, sentencing advocates\, mitigation specialists\, and others in similar roles) we will be talking about if and how (any why\, if so) we write to aggravators. Mitigation exists on its own\, but is developed in response to a case’s aggravators. This responsive approach is not always how we prepare or present mitigation. Are you writing to address and nullify aggravators? Why or why not? We will discuss this and more in our meetup this week! \nStephanne Cline Thornton is a West Virginia native who has worked in and around criminal defense and mitigation for more than 20 years in Georgia\, Colorado\, and West Virginia. She is currently the Clinical Director for the West Virginia Judicial and Lawyer Assistance Program\, and owner of Transform Legal\, a consultancy focused on mitigation\, training\, and sustainability. As a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Master Addiction Counselor\, Stephanne focuses on proper assessment for and access to trauma and substance use disorder treatment to ensure the health and well-being of affected individuals. Stephanne is on the Trauma-Informed Care Network Speakers Bureau and uses that platform to call attention to the intersection of secondary traumatic stress and legal practice. She approaches her work with clients\, lawyers\, social workers\, and mitigation specialists through a contextualized mitigation lens.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/social-worker-meetup-4/
LOCATION:Virtual\, Virtual Event
CATEGORIES:Meetup
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260325T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260325T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260211T152725Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T152726Z
UID:10000506-1774454400-1774458000@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Policy and Legislative Meet-Up
DESCRIPTION:This 60-minute virtual gathering is designed as a practical\, working session—not a webinar. Together\, we will:\n\nWorkshop active campaigns involving statutes\, rules\, budget advocacy\, and administrative reforms.\nExchange model bill language\, fiscal notes\, one-pagers\, and testimony templates.\nCoordinate strategy on messaging\, media engagement\, coalition building\, and storytelling from impacted communities.\nNavigate ethics constraints\, including 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) boundaries and public-sector limitations.\nTranslate courtroom experience and client narratives into persuasive\, data-informed advocacy.\nShare tools for rapid-response efforts during moments of crisis or legislative rollback.
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/policy-and-legislative-meet-up-2-2/2026-03-25/
LOCATION:Virtual\, Virtual Event
CATEGORIES:Meetup
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260331T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260424T153000
DTSTAMP:20260403T152740
CREATED:20260219T224154Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T173459Z
UID:10000620-1774965600-1777044600@publicdefenders.us
SUMMARY:Story-Driven Advocacy: Crafting Case Narratives and Mitigation for Trial
DESCRIPTION:Description\nIn Story-Driven Advocacy: Crafting Case Narratives and Mitigation for Trial workshop\, all public defenders will learn to apply storytelling techniques to their own cases to create empathy and compel action for their clients’ behalf. This bring-your-own-case course is a weekly\, interactive workshop for attorneys\, mitigation specialists\, investigators\, and training supervisors. Whether you’re representing clients in court or advocating for their well-being\, this online workshop series from the National Association for Public Defense will help you leverage the power of storytelling to create empathy and compel action. Designed specifically for public defense professionals\, this four-week course provides practical tools\, proven frameworks\, and real-time support to elevate your advocacy and ensure your client’s story is heard and understood. \nDates: \nBegins March 30 week for 4 weeks. Each live workshop session is capped at 4 registrants (choose one date that works for your schedule).\nLive 90-minute workshop sessions are offered on:\n\nWednesday 4/1\, 4/8\, 4/15\, 4/22 2:00-3:30 pm EST\nTuesday 3/31\, 4/7\, 4/14\, 4/21 2:00-3:30 pm EST\nFriday 4/3\, 4/10\, 4/17\, 4/24 2:00-3:30 pm EST\n\nNOTE: ONLY WEDNESDAY GROUP SPACES REMAINING \nPrice:\n$325 NAPD Members / $425 Public \nRegistration closes on 3/23/26 at 5PM EST \n\nWhat to Expect\nOn-Demand Learning\nEach week\, you’ll gain access up and additional hour of video content through our learning platform. Watch at your own pace as you explore key storytelling topics that prepare you for deeper engagement during the live workshops. \nFacilitated Small Group Workshops\nJoin a 90-minute zoom-based workshop each week (4 total)\, led by Michael Ahn. Through peer collaboration\, real-world scenarios\, and guided discussion\, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to your cases and learn from others. We will poll registrants to set the workshop times each week —choose the one that fits your schedule. \nA similar course is also offered as in an on demand model without the workshops – click here to register  \n\nTopics Covered\n\nUnderstand how story creates juror bias in trials\nLearn the basic mechanism of storytelling used successfully at jury trials\nExplore how to apply storytelling technique to your case\nUse storytelling techniques to create empathy and action\n\n\nWho Should Attend\nThis course is for criminal justice workers representing clients from marginalized populations\, attorneys needing to argue a case before a jury or in mediation\, and social workers / mitigation specialists advocating for a client’s sentencing or creating mitigation memos. You’ll leave with tools you can use right away\, plus new insights to strengthen your impact and better support your clients. \n\nSmall Group Facilitator Bio\nMichael Ahn is a trial narrative consultant who helps attorneys use story techniques in mediation and jury trials. Since 2016\, Michael has consulted on hundreds of cases\, with an 80% success rate\, including acquittals on five trials where the client was facing a life sentence. Michael also creates damages narratives for personal injury cases and consults with social justice organizations on using story techniques in messaging on key issues. \n\nTestimonials\n“Michael’s trial consultation significantly contributed to a complete acquittal in a recent homicide trial. He discovers the truth of a case which allows attorneys to incorporate that truth into compelling narratives and archetypes during jury selection\, opening\, witness examination and closing. Michael receives my highest recommendation and I encourage any attorney trying a case to consult with him.” — Wil Rumble\, Deputy Public Defender\, Vista\, CA \n“Michael worked on a horrific sex case and was able to assist the defense in finding a way to present the client compassionately. Michael will help you to re-focus your case. He is the perfect “second chair” who understands the work but sees it as a non-lawyer. His input is priceless.” — Sloan Ostbye\, Supervising Attorney\, San Diego\, CA \n“Michael Ahn helped me distill my story into a powerful and persuasive narrative which enabled me to present a focused\, theory-centered presentation to the jury. Using Michael’s unique skills and techniques\, my case evolved into a story with clarity\, emotion\, and impact – everything necessary for a successful trial.” — Adam Hepburn\, Deputy Public Defender \n“Michael Ahn knows how to craft your client’s story so that it is presented in a compelling way to the jury. A great consultant prior to trial!” — Elliott H. Jung\, Deputy Public Defender \n“Michael’s storytelling techniques helped me focus the jury’s attention on what was important. Michael was especially useful for framing what originally seemed like weaknesses as some of our biggest narrative strengths.” — Matthew Cuthbertson\, Deputy Public Defender \n“Michael’s storytelling techniques helped me persuade the jury and ultimately won my case – my client was acquitted of all charges.” — Olesya Adams\, Deputy Public Defender
URL:https://publicdefenders.us/event/story-driven-advocacy-crafting-case-narratives-and-mitigation-for-trial/
LOCATION:Virtual\, Virtual Event
CATEGORIES:Online Course
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://publicdefenders.us/app/uploads/2026/02/Story-Driven-Advocacy-1.png
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