National Seminar on the Development and Integration of Mitigation Evidence in Capital Cases

The Habeas Assistance and Training Counsel and the Training Division of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ (AO) Defender Services Office, are pleased to announce the “Twenty-First National Seminar on the Development and Integration of Mitigation Evidence in Capital Cases.”  This unique training initiative will bring together nationally recognized mental health experts, mitigation specialists, and capital defense attorneys to discuss new developments and recurring issues related to social history investigation and the comprehensive development and integration of mitigation evidence at all stages of representation in capital cases.

The program will be held February 22-25, 2024, at the Element/W Philadelphia Downtown, 1441 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102.  This seminar is designed for, and attendance is limited to, federal defenders, CJA panel attorneys, mitigation specialists, investigators, and attorneys interested in representing an inmate in federal collateral review, and state court practitioners who are currently appointed or seeking appointment in a capital proceeding in federal court. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) accreditation for attorneys will be sought in all applicable jurisdictions.  There will be no tuition and materials will be provided to participants free of charge. The AO also will make available, to a limited number of applicants, funding to cover travel expenses (airfare and/or lodging only) as detailed in this memorandum.  Space is limited to 150 attendees.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Limited funds are available to cover airfare and/or lodging costs for individuals who require financial assistance to attend this seminar.  You must be currently appointed to, or expect to soon be appointed to, a federal capital habeas case to be eligible for payment of your travel costs. Employee of federal defender and community defender offices are not eligible to apply. To apply for financial assistance, you must first register online for the program then complete the financial assistance application form that is attached to this email.  Requests will be prioritized by financial need and the extent of the applicant’s involvement in federal capital habeas corpus representation.  Please be sure you provide all required information, and your application reaches us by January 15, 2024.  Incomplete requests and those received after the deadline will not be considered.  If you apply for financial assistance, please do not make airline reservations until you are notified about a decision on your application and furnished with information on how to secure those reservations.  You should receive notification about your financial assistance request by January 22, 2024.

For more details about the program and how to register, please see the full announcement,  financial application and seminar application.