MCLE Opportunities

Hosted by ADI
Presenter: Vincent Brunkow, Chief Appellate Attorney, Federal Defenders on San Diego, Inc.

Philosophy, science, and research all support the use of story-based narratives to most effectively communicate with others. The goal of an appellate brief is to persuade judges to rule in favor of our client. But appellate briefs too often overlook storytelling techniques. This hybrid training will discuss the structure and components of good storytelling to empower participants to tell winning stories in their cases.

We highly encourage in-person attendance. ADI staff attorneys will be there, and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

To attend in-person, please RSVP by January 24, 2025 to Deanna Lopas at dll@adi-sandiego.com, or Siri Shetty at sds@adi-sandiego.com.

To attend virtually, the Zoom link is below. Zoom registration for the event will end at 8:30 a.m., two hours before the event begins.  Registration Link

*1.0 hour of general MCLE credit is offered for this training.

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.

1/23 –  Measure Twice, Object Once – JOHN C. ELLIS, JR., Attorney
03:00 PM – 04:00 PM –  Zoom Registration Link
Ninety-Seven percent of Americans now own a cell phone. And now more than ever, law enforcement is seeking location data generated by these devices. This presentation explains how location data is generated by mobile devices and provides an overview for attacking this data. It also provides practical advice for dealing with these materials in a case.
*1 hour of MCLE Credit in Technology in the Practice of Law is offered for this training*

1/27 – Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention
TATIANA KLINE, Training Attorney, Office of the State Public Defender; KIM MCKEWON
03:00 PM – 04:15 PM – Zoom Registration Link
Suicide is a significant public health concern, and lawyers are at an elevated risk. A 2023 study concluded that attorneys are twice as likely as other working U.S. working adults to have suicidal thoughts and many suffer in silence given the associated stigma within the legal profession. In part two of this series addressing suicide, attendees will learn what’s driving the higher rates of suicidal thinking among lawyers, how to identify those most at risk, what we as the public defense community can do create awareness and support, and the strategies that prevent suicide.
*1.25 hour of MCLE Credit in Wellness Competence is offered for this training*

1/28 –  CDCR Credits, Release Dates, and Parole Consideration Dates
HEATHER MACKAY, Appellate Attorney & Prison Law Office Attorney, Prison Law Office
12:15 PM – 01:30 PM – Zoom Registration Link
Knowing how the CDCR calculates credits and sets release and parole dates is necessary for evaluating case options and advising clients. Heather MacKay will share her expertise in deciphering CDCR’s current policies, including how release and parole dates are recalculated after re-sentencings. Questions will be answered at the end of the presentation.
*1.25 hour of MCLE Credit is offered for this training*

1/30 –  Identifying and Challenging Digital General Warrants
AARON MACKEY, Free Speech & Transparency Litigation Director, Electronic Frontier Foundation
12:15 PM – 01:15 PM – Zoom Registration Link
Law enforcement agencies are obtaining warrants to identify any digital device present in an area, to uncover anyone who searched for particular topics on Google, and to search entire devices. This presentation will explore these unconstitutional techniques, including how to identify their use and how to challenge them.
*1 hour of MCLE Credit is offered for this training*

“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 receive MCLE Self Study and Specialty Credit for their hours working on the course (up to 10-hours).

Information & Registration link