Juvenile court is very dynamic right now. Sure, one could argue it is always a time of “change,” right? For our purposes here, the faculty for the 2018 academy will have much to share to get/keep you up-to-date in areas most directly impacting your practice.

This seminar is for all juvenile court stakeholders including attorneys for children, parents and the government, DHS child welfare staff, CASAs, and CRB members.

Sponsoring and Coordinating Organizations:
Sponsors: Juvenile Court Improvement Project, OSB Juvenile Law Section, Office of Public Defense Services, OCDLA; with invaluable assistance from: CASA Program, DHS Child Welfare Program, Dept. of Justice, Marian Co. District Attorney's Office, UO School of Law, and Youth, Rights and Justice Attorneys at Law.

You don’t have to be a capital defender to gather new skills and strategies. Take a look at the following topics that will help improve your practice:

Crime Lab Discovery: Where They Hide Their Misconduct 

Kelley Kulick, Deputy Public Defender in San Jose, Calif., and Karen Lawless, forensic consultant, Forest Grove, Ore., will address how to discover crime lab errors. Think mitigation interviews don’t translate to other major felony cases? Think again. Mary Goody will take us through the terrain of interviewing witnesses to ferret out those crucial factors that can help you win. Lois Heaney, a senior litigation specialist in Oakland, Calif., will provide new strategies to oppose death qualification—an excellent primer for anyone considering capital work and also anyone fascinated with the psychology of jury selection.

Malia N. Brink, Associate Counsel for Public Defense, ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, Washington, DC, is presenting on the upcoming ABA Caseload/Workload Study on Friday morning at the seminar. Her presentation will be integrated with the Public Defense Services Commission meeting, as she and the Commission discuss the dimensions of the study, goals and the impact on you.

Malia Brink has spent over 15 years working on criminal justice reform issues with a focus on public defense reform. Join her and fellow lawyers, staff and managers who have the common goal of improving public defense for this important training.

BRAND NEW! OCDLA’s long-awaited manual for trying sex cases is here. Ever feel like you’re fighting a Hydra-headed prosecution when defending sex crime allegations? Being double or triple teamed by the Multidisciplinary Team? Facing child complainants contaminated by ongoing prosecution interviews? Fighting motions to admit prior bad acts?

So many questions when you’re looking for answers!

The answers are here. OCDLA is proud to release the long-awaited Defending Sex Cases manual! You will find it was worth the wait. telling the defendant’s story, evaluating physical findings, challenging hearsay and other act evidence, false memories, how to try the case: jury selection, cross-examination, jury instructions – and so much more! Lessons about handling complex, difficult cases — information you can use in other types of cases — from people who’ve been in the trenches. Three years in the making!