This program will provide an introduction to and overview of the basics of criminal practice in federal courts to newer attorneys, state court practitioners, and more experienced attorneys seeking a refresher. Attendees will receive practical knowledge they can apply in their own cases and guidance from judges and experienced criminal practitioners in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Panelists will walk attendees through the life cycle of a federal criminal case, explaining the nuts and bolts of each stage in a case’s trajectory, while discussing strategies and sharing their own experiences. By focusing on real-life scenarios and practical skills, the panelists will share their advice and insights on issues commonly faced by practitioners at each stage of federal criminal litigation, including:

• How A Case Comes In (Law Enforcement Investigations, Pre-Charge Resolutions, Presentments, and Pretrial Release)
• Discovery and Investigations (Differences from Federal Civil and State Criminal Practice, Investigation Strategies, Discovery Motions)
• Pretrial Dispositions (Submissions to the Government, Diversionary Programs, Plea Bargaining, Open Pleas)
• Motions (Dismissal, Suppression, Brady)
• Trials (Differences from Federal Civil and State Criminal Practice, Affirmative Defenses, Motions in Limine, Mechanics of a Federal Criminal Trial)
• Sentencing (Mandatory Minimums, the Sentencing Guidelines, Presentence Investigation Reports, 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), Sentencing Submissions, Sentencing Hearings)