The Commission provides training to its attorneys in a number of ways. Once a year, the Commission convenes a Public Defender Conference that provides six hours of training, including one hour of legal ethics. The Conference is held in Virginia and is staffed by high quality speakers and trainers who donate their time and expertise to improving the quality of Virginia’s indigent defense.
In order to assure the high quality of its non-attorney professional staff, the VIDC also sponsors training conferences for its office managers, investigators and sentencing advocates. Finally, the Commission provides funding each year for attorneys, investigators, and sentencing advocates to attend specialized training sponsored by agencies or organizations outside of the VIDC.
As a service to Virginia’s criminal defense bar, the VIDC also provides training opportunities for members of the private bar. The Commission co-sponsors with the University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law an annual Juvenile Law and Education Conference. Commission staff also assist the Criminal Law Section of the Virginia Bar Association with the planning of Virginia’s annual Capital Defense Workshop. The Chief Justice of the Supreme court of Virginia also offers at no cost advanced trial skills training for Virginia’s court appointed counsel. Finally, individual public defender offices sponsor training programs for office staff and members of local bar associations.
VIDC Certification Trainings
The certification training programs for 2007-2008 are provided below.
Certification Training Schedule
List of MCLE Approved Continuing Legal Education Programs certified by the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission for Maintaining Indigent Defense Certification, per Virginia Code §19.2163.03 (D) is available for downloading as an Adobe file.
To request consideration for approval of a Criminal Law CLE from the VIDC for maintaining indigent defense certification, download the attached Adobe file, print, and complete as appropriate.
Renewal Certification Application
Lunch Time Lecture Series
The VIDC recognizes that for a great number of Virginia attorneys time is crucial. However, that need has to balance with the need to stay current on legal issues and topics. We developed the Lunch Time Lecture Series as a tool for public defenders and court appointed attorneys. The topics are pre-selected and judges, attorneys and other professionals are solicited to come in and provide a one hour lecture. The series is held monthly at our office and attorneys are welcome to come and bring their lunch.
Lunch Time Lectures June 20, 2008
Virginia Trial Advocacy Workshop Series
The VIDC has developed a workshop series whereby Virginia attorneys can exercise their trial skills and have other attorneys and judges offer feedback. The series was develped to bridge the gap between lectures and in-court experience. The workshops are held quarterly and typically offer three to six hours of CLE credit and certification hours.
Other Trainings and Programs
Please download and complete the registration form below for any of the VIDC-sponsored courses.
All completed forms may be mailed or faxed to:
Attorney Certification
Virginia Indigent Defense Commission
1604 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 109
Richmond, VA 23229
Fax (804) 662-7452