Fifth OJS Trial Advocacy Training Session to be Held November 13-15, 2012, in Seattle, Washington

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (OJS) will hold its fifth training session to improve the trial advocacy skills of tribal court prosecutors, defenders and judges on November 13-15, 2012, in Seattle, Wash. This training will focus on cases dealing with sexual assault on children and adults.

The session, the fifth of six scheduled for Indian Country, is being conducted under the Tribal Court Trial Advocacy Training Program, a joint effort by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice. The Program furthers the mandate of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 to strengthen tribal sovereignty over criminal justice matters on federal Indian lands by sharpening the skills of those who practice within the tribal court system.

The Program is the result of a collaborative effort by the OJS and DOJ’s Access to Justice Initiative to offer trial advocacy training with courses designed specifically for tribal courts and free training to the judges, public defenders and prosecutors who work in them. Training is provided in three areas – domestic abuse, illegal narcotics and sexual assault on children and adults. Instructional materials are prepared by experts knowledgeable about tribal court issues. The Program is unique because it also includes training specifically for public defenders.

The final session in this series will be held January 15-17, 2013, in Albuquerque, N.M. Earlier sessions were held July 24-26, 2012, in Duluth, Minn.; August 14-16, in Ignacio, Colo.; September 11-13 in Great Falls, Mont.; and October 23-25 in Chinle, Ariz.

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to credentialed media representatives, who must display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event.

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