Ask a Mitigation Specialist
Ask a Mitigation Specialist, a resource program that allows defenders to meet directly and privately with a mitigation specialist for specific technical assistance. Complete the form below for a 25-minute session with experienced mitigation professionals. The information discussed during each session is confidential. Complete the registration form to request an appointment.
Amy Williams and Kristen Samuels
Please only sign up for AMS if you can commit to attending, as this helps us and our advisors manage scheduling and keeps spots available for those who can fully participate. If an emergency or unexpected conflict arises, please notify us as soon as possible so we can adjust plans and honor the time our volunteer advisors generously offer.
Amy Williams, LCSW
Amy is a mitigation specialist in private practice and a Texas Habeas Assistance and Training Project (TxHAT) mitigation consultant. Prior to these roles, she was Chief Investigator at the Federal Public Defender’s Dallas Capital Habeas Unit and has practiced mitigation in trial, state, and federal post-conviction proceedings. She currently chairs the Diversity Subcommittee for the Texas Habeas Race Litigation Group, which is comprised of capital defense practitioners focused on researching factors impacting the hiring and retention of racially diverse talent within the Texas habeas community.
Kristen Samuels
Kristen Samuels joined the Southern Center for Human Rights as an Investigator in August 2014. She investigates death penalty cases and other excessive, cruel, and long-term sentences in Alabama and Georgia at all stages of litigation, including pre-trial and post-conviction. In 2021, Kristen established and implemented SCHR’s Training Program to foster and advance equity in training opportunities and staff development.
Kristen was awarded the 2023 Emerging Leader Award from Advancing Real Change Inc. (ARC) for her ability to connect with clients and commitment to best practices in the mitigation field. Kristen has been a member of the National Alliance for Sentencing Advocates and Mitigation Specialists (NASAMS) since 2017. She has completed training and conference programs including: the 2015 Defender Services Capital Mitigation Skills Workshop in Kansas City, Missouri; the 2016 Bryan R. Shechmeister Death Penalty College in Santa Clara, California; and the 2017 and 2023 Legal Defense Fund Capital Punishment Conference (Airlie) in Virginia.
Prior to the Southern Center, Kristen studied Sociology and Criminology at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.
Ask a Mitigation Specialist, a resource program that allows defenders to meet directly and privately with a mitigation specialist for…
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Ask a Mitigation Specialist, a resource program that allows defenders to meet directly and privately with a mitigation specialist for…
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Ask a Mitigation Specialist, a resource program that allows defenders to meet directly and privately with a mitigation specialist for…
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