A Buddhist proverb says, “When the student is ready, the master appears.” For three days last week, D.U.I. lawyers from across the state, and across the country, convened in Columbus for ‘The Premier Ohio D.U.I. Defense Seminar’ sponsored by the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (OACDL). The students were ready, and the masters appeared.
Last week was the annual seminar sponsored by the National College for DUI Defense in Las Vegas. I have attended the seminar for years, and it is consistently a great seminar. It doesn’t hurt that it’s in Vegas, but what really makes it great is the caliber of presenters.
The seminar is co-sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), and current NACDL president Steven Benjamin gave a great presentation about the report from the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) report: “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward”. Other outstanding speakers included Troy McKinney on the topic of blood testing discovery and William “Bubba” Head on the issue of winning the unwinnable case by proving police perjury.
The highlight of the seminar for me was the presentation by F. Lee Bailey. Bailey is literally a living legend, having defended such high profile clients as Sam Sheppard (“The Fugitive”), Ernest Medina (the My Lai Massacre), Patty Hearst (bank robberies after being kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army), and O.J. Simpson (no parenthetical explanation required!).
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.
Last week was the annual DUI seminar presented by the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (OACDL). The 2012 Advanced DUI Seminar was one of the best seminars I have been part of. The ballroom at the Westin Great Southern Hotel in Columbus, Ohio was overflowing on Thursday and Friday with attendees from across the state and across the nation. The attendees from other states were members of the National College for DUI Defense. Members of the NCDD must attend at least one seminar every two years that is sponsored or approved by NCDD, and the OACDL seminar is of one of few seminars that is approved by NCDD.
Lawyers are required to attend a certain number of hours of continuing education every two years. Compliance with this rule is reported in January, so there are always a lot of continuing education programs in December. One of the programs offered this December was the Columbus Bar Association’s 2011 O.V.I. seminar. This year’s program not only fulfilled continuing education requirements but was also very interesting and educational.
What happens in Vegas in the fall is the annual seminar “DWI Means Defend With Integrity”. The seminar is presented by the National College For DUI Defense <!–(NCDD)–> and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). The seminar is great because these two organizations are the best sources of continuing education seminars for D.U.I. lawyers and criminal defense attorneys. Having the seminar in Vegas also doesn’t hurt, as attendees can get an annual refresher on when to hit, stand, split and double- down.
Columbus OVI/DUI Attorney Blog