Ethics of Plea Bargaining

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On-Demand Webinar: Ethics of Plea Bargaining
90-minute presentation 
1.50 CLE Credits

Plea bargaining constitutes an enormous portion of a prosecutor’s workload and yet, we are given little ethical guidance on how to do this part of our job.  In this ninety-minute webinar, career prosecutor and ethics instructor David Lord will discuss modern criticism of plea bargaining and will offer a framework that you can use when negotiating cases that advances due process, while also ensuring compliance with your ethical obligations.  In addition to discussing the lessons we can take away from high-profile cases like Bill Cosby, this session will also help navigate tough issues such as how to address a defendant’s collateral consequences when making a plea offer and whether exculpatory evidence has to be disclosed as part of the plea-bargaining process.

This program qualifies for 1.50 hour of legal ethics credit.

Cost:

Members: $75.00
Non-Members: $85.00
If you would like to become a member, please join here!

Eligibility

Prosecutors (state and local, federal, military, and tribal), law enforcement personnel, paralegals with prosecutor’s offices and other members of the prosecution team.

Questions? 

Please contact training@ndaajustice.org.

David Lord

Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney

City of Alexandria

David Lord is the Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Alexandria, Virginia; an adjunct professor in Criminal Procedure at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia School of Law; and a published author.  He has been employed as a prosecutor for over 17 years and has broad litigation experience, having tried 59 cases to trial before a jury and many hundreds more as bench trials. In addition to his work as a trial attorney, David has developed an expertise in prosecutorial ethics and David teaches on that topic at multiple conferences each year. He is on the permanent faculty of Trauma to Trial and Prosecutor’s Bootcamp, two statewide training conferences for Virginia prosecutors.  David also provides individual workshops on legal ethics and professionalism.  David has previously taught on white collar crimes, mental health law, proactive prosecution, and diversity issues. David also spends time researching and writing on legal ethics and has published the following articles on this topic: -Breaking the Faustian Bargain: Using Ethical Norms to Level the Playing Field in Criminal Plea Bargaining, Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, Vol. XXXV. -Give em' the Ol' Razzle Dazzle: The Ethics of Trial Advocacy and the Case of Kyle Rittenhouse , Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy, Vol. 27, Issue 2. -In Defense of the Juggernaut: The Ethical and Constitutional Argument for Prosecutorial Discretion, American University's Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law, Vol. 31, Issue 1 (upcoming, 2022). As a prosecutor, David supervises multiple other attorneys and works with the Alexandria Treatment Court, a program that seeks to help divert from conviction and incarceration individuals with substance use disorder that engage in nonviolent felony offenses. David’s prior dockets have included the prosecution of adult sex crimes, homicides, robberies, fraud/embezzlement offenses, asset forfeiture, juvenile delinquency, gang crimes and traffic cases. David is a former President of the Alexandria Bar Association.  David is a recipient of the 2017 Warren B. Von Schuch Distinguished Assistant Award, the 2014, 2015, and 2020 S. Randolph Sengel Award for Prosecutorial Excellence, the 2017 Alexandria Chamber of Commerce 40 Under 40 Award, and the 2019 Michael R. Doucette Lecturer of Merit Award.

This course was originally recorded on March 23, 2022.
NDAA is not responsible for accrediting or reporting CLE credits for this on-demand webinar. Members are responsible for ensuring their state accepts self-applications for self-study CLE credits. 

At some point during this presentation, a CLE verification poll will be launched; please make note of the verification code. You will be asked to provide the code prior to receiving the CLE Uniform Certificate of Attendance. We will save the results if state bar associations need proof of participation. 

Upon completion of your on-demand course, you will be able to access a CLE Uniform Certificate of Attendance for the recording. If your state accepts self-study credits, you can submit this certificate directly to your state bar. NDAA does not accredit recorded content or report on-demand CLE for this webinar. 

Attendees must self-submit this course for approval in their home state. All attorneys are responsible for any fees associated with CLE filing. Attorneys seeking CLE credit should contact their state bar associations for more information. General questions or additional information regarding CLE credit can be directed to cle@ndaajustice.org.

NDAA Policy 

NDAA works to provide a safe and secure environment for partners and participants. By registering for this event, you agree to abide by NDAA policies and acknowledge the disclaimer and waiver. For more information on NDAA’s policies and procedures, including our Code of Conduct, please visit our Policies page.

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Webinar
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Select the "View On-Demand Recording" button to begin. Plea bargaining constitutes an enormous portion of a prosecutor’s workload and yet, we are given little ethical guidance on how to do this part of our job.  In this ninety-minute webinar, career prosecutor and ethics instructor David Lord will discuss modern criticism of plea bargaining and will offer a framework that you can use when negotiating cases that advances due process, while also ensuring compliance with your ethical obligations.  In addition to discussing the lessons we can take away from high-profile cases like Bill Cosby, this session will also help navigate tough issues such as how to address a defendant’s collateral consequences when making a plea offer and whether exculpatory evidence has to be disclosed as part of the plea-bargaining process.
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Certificate
1.50 Ethics credits  |  Certificate available
1.50 Ethics credits  |  Certificate available