Course Description:
The 2024 Annual Defender Conference, presented by the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office, offers an intensive, multi-track training program centered on the theme Empowering Advocacy, Evolving Litigation, and Elevating Client-Centered Defense. This comprehensive curriculum is designed for trial attorneys, public defenders, private panel practitioners, youth and family defense advocates, appellate litigators, and defense investigators.
Participants gain actionable strategies across six core domains: advanced trial cross-examination, complex forensic evidence analysis, post-conviction and appellate litigation, youth and family representation, modern legal technology (including artificial intelligence and digital discovery), and practice management and wellness.
Course Highlights:
- Trial Advocacy & Keynotes: Cross-examination of child witnesses, jury/bench closing arguments, police misconduct litigation, trial storytelling, and defense posturing.
- Forensics & Evidence: STRmix DNA probabilistic genotyping, SANE exams and strangulation anatomy, forensic firearms/toolmark evaluation, and child forensic interview protocols.
- Appellate & Post-Conviction: Post-conviction evidence discovery, SCOW/SCOTUS precedent updates, complex evidentiary objections, and Machner hearing preparation.
- Youth & Family Defense: Racial disparity reduction, Indigenous youth representation, holistic juvenile advocacy, CHIPS/TPR (Chapter 48) litigation, and Chapter 51 commitments.
- Technology & AI: Fourth Amendment litigation around AI and surveillance, body-worn camera analytics, Cellebrite mobile extraction, and Axon discovery management.
- Practice & Ethics: Expert testimony ethics, solo practice management, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and public defender panel operations.
List of Case Law Referenced:
- State v. D.J.W.
- State v. Machner
- State v. Denny
- Wis. Stat. § 904.04(2) (State v. Sullivan)
- Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) / Wisconsin Indian Child Welfare Act (WICWA)
- Wisconsin Children's Code (Chapter 48)
