January - June 2023: Networked training directors and office heads of county and state defender offices in the U.S. mountain states to plan a week long trial skills training program to be held in Salt Lake City in April 2024. Application is pending for BJA approval, only one group meeting held thus far; otherwise have spoken with various agency heads. Primary contact is Richard Mauro, Executive Director of Salt Lake Legal Defender
July-Dec. 2023: Creating a quarterly training program for staff focusing on training on digital evidence, police misconduct and motion litigation, defense of sexual assault crimes and trial skills training. Will be presenting in person at one of these programs as well as obtaining speakers for other sessions. Date is set and speakers confirmed for first program in March 2024.
Jan-June 2024: . Networked with training directors and office heads of county and state defender offices in the U.S. mountain states and planned and carried out a week long trial skills training program held in Salt Lake City from April 28-May 3, 2024. The intention is for the program to continue with private and agency funding and planning has begun for the 2025 session. Primary contact is Richard Mauro, Executive Director of Salt Lake Legal Defender Association, Rich Mauro, rmauro@sllda.com, office website is https://www.sllda.com/. Other participating agencies included: Boise ID County Public Defender, Bonneville Co ID Public Defender El Paso TX Public Defender, Montana State Public Defender, Kootenai Co ID Public Defender, New Mexico State Public Defender, Washoe Co (Reno) NV Public Defender, Nevada Department of Indigent Defense, Spokane Public Defender, North Dakota State Public Defender.
From April 29 to May 3, 2024, we hosted an interactive, live training program for public defense lawyers from underserved states and jurisdictions in the Mountain region of the country. Seventy-two public defense lawyers attended the training, participating in a mix of lectures and small-group, hands-on sessions in which the attorneys were able to practice the skills they were learning and receive feedback from experienced defender faculty. The interactive sessions included an opportunity to conduct voir dire with live jury panels and to practice cross-examination using actors to role play various witnesses. The faculty included 14 nationally recognized defense training leaders as well as 12 “local” faculty. The local faculty came the participating defender agencies, enabling the participating agencies to develop not only the trial skills of the lawyers that were attending the program, but also to develop a core of future trainers who could lead and sustain this program going forward.
Participating jurisdictions included: North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and western Texas.
Please check the box next to the following questions if the answer is 'yes'.
Please enter the applicable Event Date if there is an Event associated with this TTA.
When entering an Event Date, the Time is also required.
If the TTA is targeted to a particular audience or location, please complete the questions below.
Milestones are an element, activity, work product, or key task associated with completing the TTA (e.g. kick-off meeting, collect data from stake holders, deliver initial data analysis).
Please complete the fields below, if applicable, to create a milestone for this TTA.
Please respond to the Performance Metrics below. The Performance Metrics questions are based on the TTA Type indicated in the General Information section of the TTA.
Please submit a signed letter of support from your agency’s executive or other senior staff member. The letter can be emailed to or uploaded with this request. The letter should be submitted on official letterhead and include the following information:
- General information regarding the request for TTA services, i.e., the who, what, where, when, and why.
- The organizational and/or community needs specific to the request for TTA services.
- The benefits or anticipated outcomes from the receipt of TTA services.
By submitting this application to BJA NTTAC, I understand that upon approval of this application for TTA, the requestor agrees to keep BJA NTTAC informed of any circumstances that may impact the delivery of the TTA, including changes in the date of the event, event cancellation, or difficulties communicating with the assigned TTA provider.
Please call [site:phone] if you need further assistance completing this application.