VTACDL

Lori Jensen

Executive Director
90 Beech Street
Essex Junction, VT 05452

802-343-4628

vtacdl@gmail.com

www.vtacdl.com

President:

Josh O'Hara

President-Elect:
Emily Tredeau

Secretary: 

Craig Nolan



Treasurer:

Mary Kay Lanthier

Public Defender Rep:

Susan McManus



At-Large Directors:

(3-year terms expiring 2020)

Rob Sussman

Paul Volk

(3-year terms expiring 2021)

Stephanie Foley

Dan McManus

(3-year terms expiring 2022)

David Silver

Frank Twarog

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VTACDL Fall CLE
Friday, October 25, 2019

8:30 am Registration, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm Program

Located at The Middlebury Inn, Middlebury, VT

6 hours CLE

“EQUALLY FREE”

The very first words of the first article of the Vermont Constitution remind us that all Vermonters are born equally free and independent.  Unfortunately, for Vermonters of color this guarantee often rings hollow.  Join VTACDL and its esteemed guest presenters as we explore ways we can better represent our clients of color in the Vermont criminal justice system.

8:30 - 9:00             Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 - 10:00          Race and the Law in Vermont: Attorneys Josh O’Hara and Emily Tredeau will discuss race in VT criminal law and issues to raise.

10:00 - 10:15        BREAK

10:15 - 12:00        Voir Dire and Bias: Chief Justice Paul Reiber, Superior Judge William Cohen, Superior Judge Nancy Waples, and attorneys Jessica Brown, Brian Marsicovetere, and Susan McManus will lead a presentation on discovering and eliminating bias during jury selection.

12:00 - 1:15          LUNCH ON YOUR OWN or ORDER AT THE MIDDLEBURY INN

12:45 - 1:15          VTACDL MEETING & PRESIDENT’S AWARD PRESENTATION

  1:15 - 2:45          Opening Statements: Attorney Paul Rudof of Elkins, Auer, Rudof & Schiff (Northampton, MA) will give a presentation on effective story-telling in opening statements.

  2:45 - 3:00           BREAK

  3:00 - 4:30          Using Social Science in the Criminal Courtroom: Rahsaan D. Hall, Director of the Racial Justice Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts will discuss using social science and data in criminal defense advocacy, as well as the importance of creating partnerships with other groups committed to racial justice. 

SPEAKER BIO’S:

Brian Marsicovetere, Esq: Brian Marsicovetere joined the Law Offices of Kevin Griffin, PC as an associate upon graduation from Vermont Law School in 1999.  He assumed management of the firm, currently Marsicovetere and Levine, PC, upon Judge Griffin’s appointment to the bench in 2012. Brian has handled criminal and civil rights cases in Vermont and New Hampshire state and federal courts since 1999 and has taught students and attorneys at various trial practice and/or clinic programs for Vermont’s Defender General and Vermont Law School (Adjunct Professor).  He has robust trial experience in criminal cases ranging from DUI to murder.

Joshua S. O’Hara, Esq: Josh O’Hara practices appellate and trial-level criminal defense with the Office of the Defender General. Josh is the 2019 President of VTACDL.

Emily Tredeau, Esq: Emily Tredeau practices post-conviction relief and criminal defense with the Office of the Defender General. Emily is the President-Elect of VTACDL.

Susan McManus, Esq: Susan McManus is a public defender serving with the Bennington Public Defender’s Office. Susan is the Public Defender Rep for VTACDL.

Jessica Brown, Esq: Jessica Brown became the Supervising Attorney in the Chittenden County Public Defender Office in December, 2016. Jessica is a graduate of Carleton College (1991) and Georgetown University Law Center (1996). After one year clerking for the Hon. A. Franklin Burgess in the Washington D.C. Superior Court, Jessica began her Public Defender career. From 1997 until 2007, Jessica was a Staff Attorney and Managing Attorney with the New Hampshire Public Defender, working in the Keene, Manchester, and Laconia offices. From 2007 until 2011, Jessica was an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Concord, New Hampshire. In 2011, Jessica moved to Vermont where she is continuing her Public Defender career with the Office of the Defender General. Jessica is an experienced litigator and trial attorney representing adult clients charged with felonies, misdemeanors, probation violations, and other post-conviction matters; as well as representing juveniles and parents in Delinquency and CHINS matters. Jessica appreciates and is actively involved in many initiatives in Chittenden County to develop Restorative Justice programs, treatment models, and other creative approaches to addressing criminal justice.

Chief Justice Paul Reiber: Chief Justice Reiber of Chittenden, Vermont, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 20, 1947, and became a resident of Vermont in 1976. He graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia (BA, 1970) and Suffolk Law School in Boston (JD, 1974). He is married to the former Sandra Sherburne, and they have two daughters. Justice Reiber served in the private practice of law in Rutland and as a partner in the law firm Kenlan, Schweibert & Facey from 1986 until his appointment as an associate justice by Governor James Douglas in October 2003. He was sworn in as chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court by Governor Douglas on December 17, 2004.

Judge William D. Cohen: Judge William D. Cohen graduated from Rutland High School in 1975, received his B.A. in Environmental Science from the George Washington University in 1980 and a J.D. from Vermont Law School in 1984. He was a Deputy State’s Attorney in Rutland County from 1984-1986 and then worked in private practice until he was appointed as a Superior Court Judge by Governor Howard Dean in 1999. He currently serves as presiding judge for Bennington County.

Judge Nancy J. Waples : Judge Nancy Waples received her B.A. from the College of William and Mary and her J.D. from St. John’s

University School of Law.  She was an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York City in the

Appeals Division and then later in the Trial Division.  She was also an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Vermont in the 

Criminal Division.  She was appointed to the bench in 2014.  She serves on the Criminal Division Oversight Committee, the Racial

Disparities in Criminal and Juvenile Justice Panel, and as President of the Vermont Trial Judges Association.  Prior to her appointment, she

was a partner in the Law Offices of Hoff Curtis in Burlington, Vermont.  She was appointed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to serve

as the Criminal Justice Act Representative for the District of Vermont and she was appointed by the Vermont Supreme Court to the

Committee on Model Criminal Jury Instructions.  She has served on the U.S. District Court Model Criminal Jury Instructions Committee,

U.S. District Court Drug Court Committee, U.S. District Court CJA Merit Selection Panel, National Association of Criminal Defense

Attorneys CJA Representative Advisory Panel, Vermont Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (Past President), and

the Vermont Environmental Board.  She has been a faculty member at Yeshiva University’s Benjamin Cardozo School of law Intensive Trial

Advocacy Program.  Judge Waples proudly became a United States citizen in 1977.  Prior to her legal career, she was a staff member of

the Committee on US-China Relations at United Nations Plaza in New York City.

Rahsaan D. Hall: Rahsaan Hall is the Director of the Racial Justice Program for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. In this role Rahsaan helps develop the ACLU of Massachusetts’ integrated advocacy approach to address racial justice issues. Through legislative advocacy, litigation and community engagement, the program works on issues that deeply impact communities of color and historically disenfranchised communities. Rahsaan also manages the ACLU of Massachusetts' What a Difference a DA Makes campaign to educate state residents about the power and influence of district attorneys.  Mr. Hall’s full biography may be found at: https://www.aclum.org/en/rahsaan-d-hall-director-racial-justice-program

Paul Rudof:  Paul Rudof has extensive experience as a criminal defense lawyer in Massachusetts and a national reputation as an expert in trial skills, forensics, and criminal law. Before entering private practice, Paul worked for 18 years as a public defender at the Committee for Public Counsel Services (“CPCS”), first in the Essex County office, then in the Public Defender Training Unit, and finally as the state-wide Public Defender Co-Counsel.  Since 2006, Paul has been on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College, where he has trained over a thousand criminal defense lawyers from around the country. Mr. Rudof’s full biography may be found at: https://elkinslawllc.com/attorneys/paul-rudof/

Questions?  Contact VTACDL Executive Director Lori Jensen at (802) 343-4628 or email vtacdl@gmail.com.

Thank you for registering for our CLE!