Upcoming MCLE Events – Statewide
In a collaborative effort, CCAP, FDAP, ADI, SDAP and CAP-LA are sharing information related to MCLE opportunities, trainings and training resources, to assist panel members in obtaining continuing education. We hope you all can attend.
› Introduction to Civil Commitment Appeals (All Projects)
March 4, 2026, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. | Remote
Hosted by FDAP
Join staff attorneys from all five appellate projects for an overview of civil commitment appeals. California has several statutes that provide for the involuntary commitment of individuals with mental health diagnoses. This webinar will cover all of these schemes, as well as involuntary medication orders and issues common across all types of civil commitment appeals. This training is appropriate for all attorneys, but is geared towards attorneys without civil commitment appeal experience. Please attend if you want to learn about this interesting and rewarding area of appellate practice and/or are interested in expanding your practice to include these cases.
**1.0 hour of general MCLE credit, 1.0 hour of Appellate Specialization credit, and 1.0 hour of Criminal Specialization credit offered**
› SDAP Seminar
SAVE THE DATE
May 1, 2026 | Remote
Please save the date for our annual SDAP seminar! A full agenda and registration information will follow, but this year’s program will include a range of topics, including the use of AI (artificial intelligence) in appellate practice. We will also have the opportunity to hear from Sixth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Charles E. Wilson.
› Other Training Opportunities
Registration is now open for CADC’s Annual Conference and Seminar on March 20-21, 2026!
The seminar will be held in-person only at the South San Francisco Conference Center. The two-day conference will be filled with informative and inspiring presentations, including the Project Directors Roundtable, a report from CADC’s lobbyist and criminal and dependency break-out sessions, providing a total of up to 8.25 hours of MCLE credit.
For more information and to register, please visit CADC’s website: Quick Link
⋅ CACJ On-Demand Webinars and Upcoming Live Webinars Quick Link
⋅ CACJ 2025 – In person and Virtual Seminars Quick Link
⋅ January 28, 2026 – “Hot Off the Presses: People v. Shaw and Its Immediate Impact on Three Strikes Cases”
From 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom
Hot Off the Press is a new CACJ webinar series designed to bring practitioners timely, practical analysis of major appellate decisions as they happen. The inaugural program focuses on People v. Shaw, a newly published California Supreme Court decision with far-reaching implications for Three Strikes sentencing in current trial cases, pending appeals, and post-conviction matters.
- Case review and appellate impact, presented by David Beaudreau, appellate attorney with the Central California Appellate Project and counsel who argued Shaw before the California Supreme Court
- Applying Shaw in open trial court cases, presented by Anjali Bhargava, Post-Conviction and Trial Attorney with the Santa Clara County Public Defender
- Using Shaw in final cases, including habeas and Penal Code section 1172.1 resentencing, presented by Joseph Doyle, appellate and post-conviction attorney in private practice, formally of the Monterey Public Defender’s Office and the Sixth District Appellate Project
› OSPD – Training Opportunities
Unless otherwise noted these trainings are intended for criminal defense team members only, including attorneys, investigators, social workers, paralegals, mitigation specialists, law office professionals, and other job roles on defense teams.
Free Defend-On-Demand Online Courses
IDID is pleased to provide you with a catalog of the FREE courses we offer. These courses are self-paced, and most are eligible for self-study MCLE credit.
Link to catalog of free courses offered.
1/20/2026 – Generative AI and Prosecutorial Misconduct
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Presented by CARSON WHITE, Supervising Attorney, Civil Rights Corps and PETER SANTINA, Managing Attorney, Prosecutorial Accountability Project, Civil Rights Corps
With the rapid spread of generative AI tools, more courts are encountering briefs and pleadings containing fabricated case law, misquoted authority, and unreliable analysis. While defense misuse has received significant public attention, far less scrutiny has been directed toward similar issues in prosecutorial filings. To understand the scope of the problem and respond effectively, defenders need shared awareness and a framework for recognizing filings which constitute misconduct when they appear. This webinar will help defense teams recognize what AI-generated legal writing looks like, understand how to document suspected misuse, and explore the legal tools available when fabricated or unreliable content is submitted to the court. By exchanging examples, experiences, and strategies, we can begin identifying statewide patterns and ensure client protection when the process is compromised by unverified AI.
***1.25 hours of MCLE is offered for this training***
1/27/2026 – Understanding CDCR’s Compassionate Release Process and Procedures
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
Presented by LAUREL ARROYO, Director of Capacity Building, OSPD, DR. MICHELE DiTOMAS, Assistant Deputy Medical Executive, CDCR and LARA KISLINGER, Deputy Public Defender, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
In partnership with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This webinar will equip defenders with a clear understanding of CDCR’s Compassionate Release procedures, including new developments and best practices. Attendees will hear from an experienced practitioner and have the opportunity to hear from and ask questions of CDCR’s Assistant Deputy Medical Executive about how medical evaluations and compassionate release recommendations are made.
***1 hour of MCLE Credit is offered for this training***
› OSPD Online On-Demand Courses
Racial Justice On-Demand Course
“OSPD is excited to open a new on-demand course on the Racial Justice Act. You will learn all the basics, refresh your knowledge, and stay up to date on RJA developments! These videos and written materials have been collected from around the state and are meant to help practitioners regardless of their experience in litigating the RJA.”
*Participants are able to earn up to 10 hours MCLE self-study and specialty credit.
Information & Registration Link
Defending Against SVP Commitments On-Demand Course
This course is intended for anyone in Indigent defense looking to learn more about Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) petitions and defending against these civil commitments. Those taking this course from start to finish can expect to spend approximately 9 hours to complete. However, registrants should also feel free to take this course at their own pace. Completion of this course earns 8.25 hours of general MCLE credits.
*Participants are able to earn up to 8.25 hours of MCLE self-study credit.
Information & Registration Link
Apply to the Panel
Take charge of your legal career, make a positive impact in the lives of indigent clients, and expand your practice in a meaningful direction.
MCLE Seminar Questions? Please email Bridget@lacap.com.