For some lawyers, attending continuing legal education seminars is like going to the dentist; necessary, but not something you look forward to. For me, I actually look forward to many of the seminars I attend, and there are a few I have repeated. One I just attended for the second time is the “summer session” of the National College for D.U.I. Defense.
The NCDD summer session is inspirational, educational, and intense. The seminar is held at the Harvard Law School, and settings for academic excellence don’t get much more inspirational than the historic Austin Hall. Some of the best D.U.I. lawyers from around the country attend the seminar to hear from the ‘best of the best’. The topics included breath testing, gas chromatography (for blood and urine testing), and field sobriety tests.
A focus of the seminar is trial skills, so speakers discussed advanced techniques for jury selection, cross examination, and closing arguments. After lectures, we met in small groups for workshops to improve skills on the techniques discussed in the presentations. Following a long day of lectures and workshops, the education continued on the patio of the Charles Hotel, where one can learn nearly as much from the informal conversation as the formal lectures.
The summer session is the gold standard for seminars and is a must for serious D.U.I. lawyers. I returned with re-charged batteries and a renewed enthusiasm for my practice. I look forward to using improved techniques to help my clients with O.V.I. cases in Columbus and the central Ohio area.