Events and Training Calendar - Listing

2008 Criminal Defender Training Program "Summer Series"
06/05/2008 - 06/05/2008

Please follow this link to download the 2008 Summer Series Registration Materials

Sixth Annual Forensic Science Conference. Bullet Proof?: Firearm Forensics From Fingerprints to Toolmark Identifications
06/13/2008 - 06/14/2008

Firearms and the District of Columbia are at the center of a national debate this year with the Supreme Court taking aim at the question of whether an individual even has the right to possess a gun in the case of Parker v. District of Columbia.  But, right or no right, and ban or no ban, firearms and evidence connected to firearms have long been and will continue to be issues at the center of many of our criminal cases. 

Questions abound:  Were fingerprints recovered on that gun allegedly found in the car or near our client?  What method was used to recover fingerprints?  Were the prints of “value”?  Is it possible to exclude the client from any prints left behind, even those deemed to be of “no value”?  How about recovering DNA from a gun?  How about gun powder residue, or lack thereof, from the hands of someone who allegedly just fired a gun?  What does stippling on the clothing or around the gunshot wound mean?  Can a toolmark examiner look at a bullet or shell casing and determine which gun it was shot from to the exclusion of all other guns in the world?  How do crime scene re-constructionists assist in piecing together the events of a shooting?  Is Shot Spotter technology, now in full force in the District of Columbia, the wave of the future in gun cases?  All of these questions and more will be explored at this year's conference.

We will kick off the conference with a Friday night cocktail reception hosted at PDS and sponsored by Arnold & Porter LLP.  The format for Friday will be informal where we will discuss firearm basics like common guns, how they work and what ammunition markings may be left behind by the guns on that evidence left at the scene (or, unfortunately, maybe, in someone).  Saturday will be a full-day event, hosted at the Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet University, devoted to answering all the above questions and more.

A final itinerary will be sent to registered attendees. For those interested in DC and other jurisdictions' CLE credits, we will provide Certificates of Attendance on the day of the conference for your convenience. Registration is limited to 120 participants. Please register as soon as possible to guarantee your space. RSVP by May 30, 2008 by sending an e-mail to Nell G. Hidalgo, at nhidalgo@pdsdc.org. In your registration email, please include, where applicable, your name, firm name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, fax number, and D.C. Bar number.

Download conference program

Waiting list now available

Reentry and Expungement Summit 2008
06/17/2008 - 06/17/2008

Assisting people who have committed DC Code offenses and are seeking information on reentry support services, the sealing of arrest records, the expungement of convictions, and civil legal services.

Event Services:
• Housing Information & Counseling
• Education & Vocational Training
• Employment Assistance
• Information on Record Sealing & Expungement

Preregistration is required for assistance with the sealing of arrest records and the expungement of convictions.

Download Event Flyer (English)
Download Event Flyer (Spanish)

More information to follow.

Family Court Special Education: New Panel Attorney Training 2008
06/19/2008 - 06/20/2008

Please click here to download and print complete training program

We are no longer accepting online registrations. The event is currently full. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Harrison (SHarrison@pdsdc.org). Click here for complete details

The Path to Becoming a Public Defender
07/26/2008 - 07/26/2008

The Path to Becoming a Public Defender, a free mini conference for law students interested in indigent criminal defense representation featuring career, skills and substantive panels and public defenders from offices throughout the United States.

When: Saturday, July 26 2008, The George Washington University Law School.
Click here to get directions to GW

Conference at a glance

Questions?: Contact Jennifer Thomas (202) 824-2337 or jenthomas@pdsdc.org

Notice: Registrants will receive a confirmation email on Thursday, July 24, 2008

Juvenile Panel Training 2008: Family Team Meetings.
07/28/2008 - 07/28/2008

On Monday, July 28 from 12:30 -2pm, Room 3300, Superior Court, Wendy Smeltzer, Supervisor, Pre-Dispositional Case Planning/Youth Family Team Meeting Unit, and Linda Harllee-Harper, Program Manager, Resource Management and Utilization Division (RMUD) at DYRS will discuss Family Team Meetings.

Printable Version Click here for complete details