Persuasion Institute 2009

The Habeas Assistance and Training Counsel (HAT) and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO), in conjunction with New York University Law Professor Anthony Amsterdam, are pleased to announce that the Fourth Persuasion Institute will be held at Cornell Law School in Ithaca, New York from September 11 to 13, 2009. Registration will begin on Friday, September 11 at 11:30 am. The Institute will conclude on Sunday, September 13 at around 1:00 p.m.

This unique and innovative program was designed by Professor Amsterdam, together with HAT counsel, to improve habeas advocacy by teaching participant’s techniques that can be used in persuasive oral and written advocacy, including the effective use of narrative tools such as the "elements" of story, theme choice, plot, setting, perspective, and sequence. This will be accomplished in a non-traditional manner by bringing together capital post-conviction attorneys, professional non-fiction and fiction writers, and academics who will work together in developing persuasive advocacy techniques in a combined lecture and small group format.

This program is designed for, and attendance is limited to: federal defenders; Criminal Justice Act panel attorneys; attorneys interested in representing a death-sentenced inmate in federal collateral review, and state court practitioners who are currently appointed or seeking appointment in a federal capital habeas corpus proceeding. Because of the nature of the program and its necessarily more "hands on" approach, attendance has been limited to 35 participants. There are more than twice that number of lawyers working in CHUs nationally. If seeking financial assistance, please use the attached financial assistance application form, and note that there are a limited number of complete or partial scholarships provided for the program by the Cornell Death Penalty Project. Please also note that any financial assistance provided to staff from Federal Public Defender Organizations (not CDO staff) must comply with federal gift requirements. Not all lawyers registered from each unit may be accepted for participation, but, taking into consideration unit sizes and the number of registrations and cancellations, every effort will be made to allocate Institute slots equitably among the CHUs. Registration confirmations will be sent out informing registrants whether they have been accepted or placed on a waiting list. Please register online by August 1, 2009 to increase the likelihood that you obtain a spot. Individuals who apply for scholarships will be notified whether they have been granted a requested financial assistance award by August 9, 2009, along with instructions on how to make airline and hotel reservations.

HOTEL INFORMATION:

A group of rooms has been blocked at the Holiday Inn Ithaca - Downtown, 222 South Cayuga Street, Ithaca, New York. All hotel reservations must be made on or before August 10, 2009, in order to secure a room at the special group rate of $102.00 for single occupancy per night. Hotel reservations can be made by calling the Holiday Inn directly at (607) 272-1000. Please indicate that you are attending the Persuasion Institute 09 when calling to make reservations. If you have applied for financial assistance, please do not make your airline or hotel reservation until you have received confirmation of the financial assistance award and reservation instructions.

The Holiday Inn Ithaca is located about 20 minutes from the airport. The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle that runs periodically from the airport to the hotel. The cost of a taxi ride is around $25.

SEMINAR REGISTRATION:

Registration is easy: All registration is done online; please click on or copy and paste the following link into your web browser and you will be able to access the information needed to register. http://www.capdefnet.org/fdprc/contents/shared_files/upcoming_seminars/upcoming.htm.

Thank you for your interest in this very important program. If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Chastain Smith via email or telephone at Chastain_Smith@ao.uscourts.gov or 202-502-2367.