Forensic Toxicology Online Symposium

RTI International is offering their 2nd Annual Online Symposium: Current Trends in Forensics & Forensic Toxicology program May 13-17, 2019. The program is free of charge.

The program will feature speakers on various topics of toxicology and seized drug analysis. The program is intended for laboratory scientists who work in these fields so that they can receive additional training without having to leave the lab, but is available to the forensic community as a whole.

If you are interested in learning more about the latest trends in these fields, visit the program site for more information and registration.

Forensic Science and Statistics – Special Issue of Significance Magazine

The American Statistical Association and Royal Statistical Society of the UK has published a special issue devoted for forensic evidence. The April 2019 issue, Forensic Science and Statistics, is a collaboration of the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) and the Innocence Project.

The April 2019 issue contains six articles focused on forensic evidence:

• The limits of forensic evidence by Brian Tarran
• The need for objective measures in forensic evidence by Karen Kafadar
• Reliability and validity of forensic science evidence by Hal Stern, Maria Cuellar, and David Kaye
• What does a match mean? A framework for understanding forensic comparisons by Robin Mejia, Maria Cuellar, Dana Delger, and Bill Eddy
• Machine learning in forensic applications by Alicia Carriquiry, Heike Hofmann, Xiao Hui Tai, and Susan VanderPlas
• “Source” or “activity” – What is the level of issue in a criminal trial by Graham Jackson and Alex Biedermann

Free access to the full text of each article is available in this special issue.

6th Annual NACDL-Cardozo Law National Forensic College

June 2 – 7, 2019: New York City, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

The National Forensic College is an advanced, week-long forensic science CLE designed for experienced trial and post-conviction defense litigators. It features the foremost national experts in a wide range of forensic disciplines and presents a truly one-of-a kind opportunity. The Forensic College prepares attorneys to litigate complex forensic science issues strategically and with the support of the nation’s leading law firms and experts. One core objective of the Forensic College is to train trainers and supervisors in the defense community, and the participants include training directors from federal defender offices, public defense organizations, and assigned counsel programs.

The Forensic College has reserved a limited number of slots for private attorneys. Attendance is by application and the limited space fills quickly, so early submissions are encouraged. The Forensic College is especially eager to recruit private lawyers who may be involved in planning or implementing defense or wrongful conviction training programs in their communities, or those at law firms who may wish to participate in cutting-edge forensic litigation. Private attorney tuition is $1,199 for the full six-day program. Understanding it may be difficult for some lawyers to attend the entire week, you may request enrollment for part of the week by contacting Vanessa Antoun, NACDL Senior Resource Counsel, at vantoun@nacdl.org or (202) 465-7663. To learn more, please visit the homepage: www.nacdl.org/NFC2019.

To apply, download the attorney application at www.nacdl.org/NFCApp and return to Vanessa Antoun, NACDL Senior Resource Counsel, at vantoun@nacdl.org.

The Forensic College is presented in collaboration with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Defender Services Training Division.

Topics include:

• Framework for Evaluating Forensic Science Evidence
• DNA – basic & advanced tracks
• Pattern Evidence – including Fingerprints & Firearms
• Shaken Baby Syndrome / Abusive Head Trauma
• Medical Evidence: Sexual & Physical Abuse
• Eyewitness Identification
• Crime Scene Evidence
• Digital Evidence