Criminal Defense: Practice Tips, Ethics, Social Justice – The Pandemic & Beyond

The Committee on Mandated Representation is proud to present its annual CLE program dedicated to educating providers of mandated representation. Join a panel of experienced professionals in the field of criminal law as they present on the key topics of collateral consequences, criminal e-discovery, communication strategies when representing clients with mental illnesses, and criminal appeal waivers. This program is free of charge and will benefit all criminal defense attorneys, especially those who represent indigent clients.

Collateral Consequences

You are probably aware of many of the collateral consequence of a criminal conviction, but might not realize how a guilty plea could affect a client’s potential federal civil rights action. This session will explore your ethical obligations and explain what you need to know to protect clients’ rights.

E-Discovery Management and Review – Tips and Tricks

Discovery reform has brought progress in criminal defense, but has also created new concerns. This session will offer ideas about how to effectively manage and review voluminous discovery material.

Representing Clients With Mental Illnesses

Many criminal defendants suffer from mental illness, and effectively communicating with these clients and advocating for them can be a challenge. This program will offer overarching strategies and discuss common issues to help you better represent these clients.

Waiver of the Right to Appeal

This session will explore how to attack waivers of the right to appeal, explain your ethical duties to protect your clients’ appellate rights, and describe issues that survive a guilty plea and even a valid waiver.

The Committee on Mandated Representation will also take this opportunity to recognize colleagues who have made significant contributions to enhancing the quality of mandated representation by presenting the Denison Ray Criminal Defender Award and the Excellence in Mandated Representation Awards during this program.

Program Chairs and Faculty:

• Committee Chair: Robert Dean, Esq., Center for Appellate Litigation, New York, NY
• Program Chair: Cynthia F. Feathers, Esq., NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services, Albany, NY
• Michael Avery, Professor Emeritus, Suffolk Law School, Boston, MA and co-author of Police and Misconduct: Law and Litigation (Thomson Reuters)
• Frederick K. Brewington, Esq., Law Office of Frederick K. Brewington, Hempstead, NY
• Emma M. Greenwood, Esq., Greenwood Law Group, PLLC, New York, NY
• Marika Meis, Esq., Center for Appellate Litigation, New York, NY
• Rosemary Vasallo, Esq., Legal Aid Society, New York, NY