Attorney-Client Relationships and Responsibilities for Criminal Defense Lawyers

Please join NACDL and the Criminal Injustice Reform Network (CIRN) for a webinar on the ethical obligations of defense counsel when addressing discovery in criminal cases.

All attorneys have core ethical obligations that guide their interactions with their clients, adverse parties, and the courts. For criminal defense lawyers, especially those providing public defense representation, challenges such as limited time and resources, substantial workloads, and the goals of providing client-centered representation can create tensions between these ethical rules and the realities of their practice. This tension figures prominently on the topic of discovery, where lawyers are faced with hours of body worn camera footage, terabytes of digital data, rules that restrict disclosure methods, and challenges relating to limited access to clients who may be in custody. This program will help lawyers identify the ways to meet their ethical obligations while engaging in client-centered representation.

Presenters

Bonnie Hoffman, Esq.

Bonnie Hoffman serves as the Director of Public Defense for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) where she focuses on addressing the needs of public defense systems, the attorneys who provide public defense representation, and the clients and communities they serve. Overseeing NACDL’s commitment to public defense, Bonnie assists public defenders and court appointed counsel by developing and delivering training programs and materials, as well as working with local, state and national leaders to address reforms in our nation’s public defense delivery systems. Prior to joining NACDL Bonnie spent more than 21 years as a public defender in Virginia. 

Katherine Jensen, Esq.

Katherine Jensen is a Resource Counsel with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Her current portfolio includes serving as the Project Manager for NACDL’s Capital Case Litigation Initiative, a training program for attorneys across the country who provide representation in capital cases. Katherine has spent the majority of her career providing representation to those who are marginalized in our communities. She spent nearly 15 years working for the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission, serving as Acting Capital Defender, Deputy Capital Defender, and Assistant Public Defender. 

Additional Speakers:

BeKura W. Shabazz is the Founder and CEO of the Criminal Injustice Reform Network (CIRN). A passionate advocate for justice, it is her lived experiences as well as the experiences of others she has advocated for that inspires her work to address the harms the legal system perpetuates. Self-taught in law and legal theory, her work strives to set forth a path to create equity, fairness, and oversight in the legal system. 

Aikido Graves-Bey is CIRN's Chief Operations Officer. With a shared zealousness to change the legal system, Mr. Graves-Bey's lived experience is the driving force behind his dedication to this work.  

Ms. Shabazz and Mr. Graves-Bey both have more than 2 decades of experience helping loved ones navigate the legal system while advocating for equitable changes. 

This webinar is a product of CIRN's vision and commitment to improving the legal system by ensuring that the legal profession work with and be informed by the knowledge, needs, and experiences of the community. 

Materials

 

View The Program Slideshow Program Materials 


 

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