LAPD/CPDA 43rd Annual Youth Defender & Advocate Training Seminar

Saturday, May 3, 2025

Loyola Law School
Center for Juvenile Law & Policy
919 Albany St
Los Angeles, CA 90015

SOLD OUT^♦

This LAPD/CPDA Youth Defense & Advocate Training Seminar is devoted entirely to youth defense practice. The program will feature discussions and lectures by some of the most experienced attorneys and experts practicing in the field. This program qualifies for California MCLE participatory credit. MCLE Specialty credits are noted when applicable.

Morning Plenary Session
8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m	Registration and Buffet Breakfast
9:00 a.m.	Welcome and presentation of the Rigoberto J. Arrechiga Youth Justice Award to Adam Radwan by Luis J. Rodriguez, Division Chief, Juvenile Services Division, Los Angeles
9:20 a.m.	Bias-Busting and Building Rapport with Youth La Mer Kyle-Griffiths, Training Division Director, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office 1.0 hour MCLE [Implicit Bias]
10:20 a.m.	Morning Break
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Morning Breakout Session
	Hall of 70's	Hall of 80's	Merrifield Hall
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.	Identifying Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Youth By Casey Secor, Senior Staff Attorney, Suzerain Capital Defense and Kate O'Shea, Suzerain Capital Defense Approved for 1 Continuing Education Credit for Social Workers 1.0 hour MCLE	Challenging Inhumane Conditions of Confinement By Meredith Gallen, Senior Staff Attorney, Criminal Justice Project, ACLU of Southern California and Marisol "Mari" Dominguez-Ruiz, Staff Attorney, ACLU National Prison Project 1.0 hour MCLE	Adolescent Race-Related Stress and Trauma in Youth Defense By Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr., PsyD, MPA, ABPP, Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences 1.0 hour MCLE [Elimination of Bias]
11:30 a.m.	Break
11:40 a.m.	Remarks from Ricardo Garcia, Public Defender, Los Angeles County
11:50 a.m.	Keynote by Scott Budnick, Anti-Recidivism Coalition and Juvenile Justice Reform Advocate
12:30 p.m.	Lunch
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
	Hall of 70's	Hall of 80's	Merrifield Hall
1:30 to 2:30 p.m.	Strategies for Investigating and Presenting Mitigation By Casey Secor, Senior Staff Attorney, Suzerain Capital Defense and Kate O'Shea, Suzerain Capital Defense Approved for 1 Continuing Education Credit for Social Workers 1.0 MCLE	Delinquency & Legislative Update By Michael Theberge, LA County Public Defender 1.0 MCLE	So Your Client is Facing Transfer. What Now? By Bess Stiffelman, Law Office of Bess Stiffelman, Joseph Pertel, Supervising Staff Attorney, Loyola Law School Project for the Innocent, and Vera Koulian, Juvenile Resource Attorney, LA County Public Defender 1.0 MCLE
2:30 p.m.	Break
	Hall of 70's	Hall of 80's	Merrifield Hall
2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m	Competency: Identifying Incompetent Youths & Working with Defense Experts By Carolee Matias, LCSW, Mental Health Clinical Supervisor, LA County Alternate Public Defender and Megan Gallow, Deputy Alternate Public Defender, LA County Alternate Public Defender's Office Approved for 1 Continuing Education Credit for Social Workers 1.0 Hour MCLE	Release My Client! Practical Strategies for Mastering Your Detention Hearing Practice By Jonathan Laba, Deputy Public Defender, Contra Costa County Public Defender and Stephen Hirsch, Assistant Public Defender, Sacramento County Office of the Public Defender 1.0 hour MCLE	Digital Sleuthing: Navigating Social Media for Defense Attorneys By Timothy Wratten, Investigator, LA County Public Defender 1.0 MCLE [Technology in the Practice of Law]
3:45 p.m.	Break
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.	Competency: The Court-Appointed Expert, The Hearings & Beyond By Carolee Matias, LCSW, Mental Health Clinical Supervisor, LA County Alternate Public Defender and Megan Gallow, Deputy Alternate Public Defender, LA County Alternate Public Defender's Office Approved for 1 Continuing Education Credit for Social Workers 1.0 hour MCLE	Guilt by Association- Litigating Gang Enhancements By Dr. Jesse De La Cruz, MSW, Ed.D, Court Qualified Gang Expert 1.0 hour MCLE	The Ethics Quiz Show By Alexandra Trantham, Deputy Public Defender, LA County Public Defender, Lorenmarie Manning, Deputy-In-In Charge, LA County Public Defender's Office, and Omid Haghighat, Deputy-In-Charge of the East Los Angeles Youth Services Division of the LA 1.0 hour MCLE [Legal Ethics]