According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders (FASD) is a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy.  The recently published DSM-5 recognized FASD as a neurodevelopmental disorder (i.e., Neurodevelopmental Disorder associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, or ND-PAE).  FASD includes a range of disorders that depend on the type of symptoms the person experiences, including:  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS); Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND); and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD).  Because as many as 60 percent of those with FASD have a history of trouble with the law — with the average age of initial juvenile justice system contact being 12.8 years — the ABA recently called for enhancing FASD awareness among lawyers and judges, including the value of interdisciplinary collaboration to better help those with these conditions.  Learn more about the part FASD may play in your case.

The Winning Strategies Seminar, took place January 30 to February 1, 2014.  It brought together a dynamic group of attorneys, professionals and judges, speaking on a wide variety of topics specifically designed to keep panel attorneys abreast of the most recent and important developments in federal criminal defense. The program included both large plenary lectures as well as smaller "break-out" lectures, covering topics that meet the needs of  the advanced practitioner and the less experienced attorney alike.  Sessions included sessions on new sentencing strategies in a post-Booker world, persuading judges to move away from over-dependence on the Guidelines, recurring issues in drug cases, how to best take advantage of proffers and cooperation, Supreme Court updates, ethics and more.

The following Winning Strategies presentations were recorded and are available for viewing:

• Impeaching Testifying Witnesses
• Important Issues to Consider When Defending Clients in Child Porn Cases
• How Law Enforcement Can, or Cannot, Track People Using Their Cell Phones, iPads, Blackberries, GPS, Etc.
• Enticers and Travelers -- Law and Strategy for Fighting "Child Sex" Cases
• Educating the Legal System About Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders -- It's Not Just an Excuse
• Opening Statements:  Winning It Now -- Winning It Here
• "Do You Hear What I Hear?"  Why Demonstrative Evidence Makes A Difference
• Panel Discussion:  Ethical Issues Confronting Criminal Defense Attorneys