Disaggregating Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Doctrine

Strickland v. Washington has long been criticized for setting an unduly high bar for proving ineffective assistance of counsel (IAC). A clear understanding of the legal standards governing IAC is essential for defense teams seeking to preserve their clients’ rights.

Join ARC and presenter Eve Brensike Primus, Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, as this webinar disentangles the four distinct constitutional categories of IAC as recognized by the Supreme Court. During this session, criminal defense practitioners will learn how a more nuanced approach can move courts toward a more accurate and effective framework for litigating and evaluating claims. Register for this event by clicking here. 

This webinar is Part 1 of a two-part series. Registration for Part 2 is available by clicking here.

For additional reading, please see Professor Primus’ work: Disaggregating Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Doctrine or Redefining Strickland Prejudice after Weaver v Massachusetts.

This webinar will be recorded. CLE credits are not available for this seminar; however, a letter of attendance will be provided upon request to Mary at [email protected].

Presenter Bios

Eve Brensike Primus

Eve Brensike Primus is the Yale Kamisar Collegiate Professor of Law at the University of Michigan, where she has won multiple teaching awards for her instruction in criminal procedure, evidence, and habeas corpus courses. She co-authors one of the nation’s leading criminal procedure textbooks and writes about structural reform in the criminal legal system, with a particular focus on indigent defense reform. The US Supreme Court and lower appellate courts have cited her scholarship. Professor Primus is also the founder and director of MDefenders and the Public Defender Training Institute—programs designed to educate and support aspiring public defenders. She also directs the Data for Defenders project, which promotes creative and evidence-based criminal defense advocacy through the strategic and effective use of social science research.  Before joining the Michigan Law faculty, Professor Primus worked as a criminal investigator for the Public Defender Service in Washington, DC, and as a trial and appellate public defender in the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. She also has participated in the lawmaking process, giving legislative testimony and helping draft proposed legislation on criminal justice issues.