Dreams and Nightmares: Representing Civil Rights Clients with Criminal Pasts and Presents

This hybrid CLE will be offered both in person and virtually, with virtual attendees able to fully participate in Q&A sessions with panelists via two way audio connection.

NPAP will be applying to the MCLE Board of California and the MCLE Board of Pennsylvania for 9.75 CLE credits, including 1 legal ethics credit.

PLEASE NOTE: Registration for this event will close October 16 at 11:59pm (CST) with no exceptions, to allow NPAP staff time to validate all registrants and ensure event security. Thank you for your understanding.

 

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A full agenda for the event can be found here.

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A huge thank you to our sponsors

Thank you so much to our sponsors, whose work we are proud to uplift and support:

Confidential Investigative Services, Inc.
Diane Cowan, CLI, CCDI
235 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
t: (215) 546–7400
o: (800) 503-7400
f: (215) 546-1147
e: diane@cisphilly.com

Cornerstone Discovery
Grady P. Walters,  Director, Trial Support Services
4775 League Island Blvd. Philadelphia, PA 19112 
t: (610) 203-6156
o: (267) 639-6900
e: gwalters@cornerstonediscovery.com
http://cornerstonediscovery.com

DiPIERO COURT REPORTING
Registered Professional Reporters
1175 Marlkress Road, Unit 2460
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
t: (215) 735-8101  
e: DiPieroReporting@aol.com

 

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About the event

Many victims of law enforcement misconduct find themselves facing criminal charges. Sometimes they are charged in connection with the police abuse that gave rise to their claims. Sometimes their rights are violated by prosecutors, jailers, and judges in the lead up to a criminal trial. Sometimes law enforcement agencies create unconstitutional policies that ensnare a plaintiff into the carceral system. Regardless of the reason, attorneys for civil rights plaintiffs often have to navigate the challenges that go along with their client's present or prior interactions with the criminal legal system. This CLE will help civil rights attorneys litigate constitutional claims that arise from a client's contact with the criminal legal system (eg. abuse of process claims, jail abuse claims, etc.) and identify doctrinal barriers to bringing these claims. The CLE will also provide attendees with strategies to best represent and support their clients who have a criminal history and discuss related ethical concerns for these representations.

Panels will include:

1. Stop Resisting! How to Effectively Represent Imperfect Victims of Police Misconduct
2. Identifying and Redressing Abusive Policies and Practices in Pre-Trial Proceedings
3. Conviction Integrity Units – Pathways and Pitfalls for Justice
4. Favorable Terminations and Unreasonable Seizures: Malicious Prosecution Claims After Thompson v. Clark
5. Discussion of Heck
6. Prison Reform Through Class Action Litigation

 

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About the speakers

Fred Brewington - Attorney, The Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington
John Burris - Partner, Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy
Jon Feinberg - Partner, Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg, Lin

Zal Shroff - Acting Legal Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area
Clark Neily - Senior Vice President for Legal Studies, Cato Institute
Debbie Levi - Director of Special Litigation & Felony Trial Attorney, Maryland Office of the Public Defender - Baltimore

Marissa Bluestine - Assistant Director, Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice
Elizabeth DeLosa - Managing Attorney, Pennsylvania Innocence Project
Michael Garmisa - Supervisor, Conviction Integrity Unit, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
Chester Hollman III - Exoneree, 25 Years Spent in Prison for Wrongful Conviction

Amir Ali - Executive Director, MacArthur Justice Center
Anna Benvenutti-Hoffmann - Partner, Neufeld Scheck & Brustin, LLP
Cary London - Partner, Shulman-Hill

Jim Davy - Founder, All Rise Trial & Appellate
Teri Ravenell - Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

Susan Lin - Partner, Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg, Lin
Su Ming Yeh - Executive Director, Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project
Nia Holston - Staff Attorney, Abolitionist Law Center
 

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About the moderators

Joe McMullen - Attorney, Law Offices of Joseph M. McMullen

Riley Ross - Attorney, Mincey Fitzpatrick, Ross LLC

Hugh Eastwood - Attorney, Hugh A. Eastwood, Attorney at Law

Keisha James - Staff Attorney, National Police Accountability Project

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A note on time zones

Please note: any time listed without a time zone is in Central Standard Time. 

The event will be at the following times by time zone:

Thursday, October 19:

• 6am - 2:30pm PST
• 7am - 3:30pm MST
• 8am - 4:30pm CST
• 9am - 5:30pm EST

Friday, October 20:

• 6am - 9:45am PST
• 7am - 10:45am MST
• 8am - 11:45am CST
• 9am - 12:45pm EST

 

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Accommodations for in-person attendees

The event will be held at Quorum at the University City Science Center (3675 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104).

Event fees include a catered lunch on Thursday, October 19, and breakfast on both Thursday, October 19 and Friday, October 20.

NPAP has a discounted hotel block for $187 per night at Sheraton Philadelphia University City (3549 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104), which is a 3 minute walk from the event venue.

To book at the Sheraton with NPAP's discounted group rate please email Alesha Bingham at Abingham@sheruniv.com and request a room in NPAP's room block.

 

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Details for Virtual Attendees

A zoom link will be sent out the evening before each day of the event, and will be used for the duration of the next day's programming.

 

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CLE Accreditation:

This event is currently pending CLE credit.

We will be applying for 9.75 CLE credit hours, including 1 legal ethics credit with the State Bar of California and the State Bar of Pennsylvania. Most attendees should be able to self-report for CLE credit to their own state bars, and in instances where a state bar requires that the event sponsor report on behalf of attendees, NPAP is happy to assist.

Details for obtaining credit will be shared with all attendees once our application has been approved.

 

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Event Recording:

The event will be recorded in its entirety and recordings of each panel will be available to attendees after the event. However, attendees will only be elligible for CLE credit for the portions of the event that they attended live, either in-person or virtually. Retroactive viewing of recordings will not be elligible for CLE credit, as NPAP does not have a means of validating attendee participation in this circumstance.

 

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Financial support

NPAP never wants cost to be a barrier to attendance for our programming and we are happy to work with anyone interested in attending to find a means to make the program accessible. If you require financial support, please contact Jane at operations.npap@nlg.org for assistance.

 

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Accessibility

It is our priority to ensure accessibility for all attendees - please contact Jane at operations.npap@nlg.org if you have specific inquiries regarding physical accessibilty of the venue or virtual experience.

 

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