Staff College 2015

I will be attending Staff College Thursday and Friday and will be staying overnight

I will be attending Staff College Thursday and Friday, but will NOT be staying overnight

I will be attending Staff College on Thursday only

I will be attending Staff College on Friday only

I will NOT be attending Staff College

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I would prefer a single room

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Maximizing Client Benefits with Mary McGinniss - Come to this session and become knowledgeable about Vermont state and federal benefits, how these benefits interact with other income, other benefits, and your client’s circumstances. Learn how to issue spot and help your clients keep the money they have as well as maximize their household resources. We will look at fact patterns to enhance and train your eye to find income and prevent loss of resources and money for your clients.

Effective Evidence in Administrative Hearings with Sam Abel Palmer and Kirstin Schoonover -This session will look at how to present a case in an administrative law hearing. We will present some general principles and procedures of administrative hearings, including a survey of the boards where Law Line and VLA usually practice, the hearing procedures, how to develop a case and admit evidence, and what to expect during the hearing. We will also spend some time looking at specific case scenarios, and there will be a chance to role-play some situations that may come up during hearings. We will focus especially on cases at the Human Services Board and Employment Security Board.

Legislative Advocacy with Amy Shollenberger-At this workshop, you’ll learn about the ins and outs of legislative advocacy, including how a bill becomes a law in Vermont and how to find the information that you need to track a bill as it winds its way through the legislative process. We’ll also devote time to learning how to successfully engage lawmakers!

This session will be limited to 30 people. Please use the comment box to indicate your second choice.

Serving Limited English Proficient (LEP) Clients with Susan M. Pezzullo Rhodes, J.D. - This session will address, from two angles, the responsibilities of recipients of Federal Financial Assistance to their LEP clients under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 13166. First, it will address how best to serve LEP clients when they seek legal assistance from VLA, VLH or LSLL. Second, it will identify remedies that can be pursued by advocates on behalf of LEP clients who are denied services by other government actors and recipients of Federal Financial Assistance.

Fact Investigation Methods with E. Guy Paradee - This session will cover how to work with an investigator and how fact investigation can be an asset in our work. The presenter will share On-Line Sources of information. There will be discussion of unique situations including accident and crime scene reconstruction and how knowing and presenting facts can make a case.

Trauma Informed Services with Beth Holden - This training will provide an overview of trauma informed care and the relationship to the legal profession. The aim is to better understand clients and to be more effective in the work you do. Types of trauma and effects of trauma will be described. Strategies will also be discussed to improve interactions with clients who have experienced trauma. Lastly, secondary trauma and vicarious trauma will be described to increase awareness for staff who hear traumatic stories repeatedly. This training will include a power point presentation, small group and large group discussion.

Negotiation Practice with Sean Nolon - This session is designed to be an interactive exploration of negotiation theory and practice. Professor Nolon will cover some basic concepts of negotiation including: i. Basic “stages”, ii. Principles of effective negotiation, iii. Learning and using different negotiation styles, iv. Negotiating when the relationship matters. This session is based on similar sessions Professor Nolon has taught to law students, mediators, and lawyers at law schools, bar association events, and in corporate counsel settings.

Ethics with Jack McCullough-Meet the ethics continuing legal education requirement for attorneys by learning about conflicts of interest.

Collateral Consequences of Conviction with Rich Cassidy -Some of our clients face seemingly insurmountable barriers in getting a job, housing, or other necessities of life because they have been convicted of a crime. A main goal of this session is awareness of the problem so we can better advise clients. This session will discuss efforts to create the Uniform Collateral Consequences of Conviction Act the fundamental purpose of which is to allow deserving persons with a record of conviction an opportunity to get some relief from the civil legal disadvantages and disqualifications. The session will examine restrictions and compare them across states; examine what Vermont has already done, and suggest some concrete remedies to specific problems our clients.

Legal Research for Non-Lawyers "There Oughta be a Law" with Jean Murray -This session will present basic concepts about the rules of law. Precedent, mandatory v. persuasive authority, the meaning and application of statutes and rules. There are often several laws that could apply; how lawyers figure out which one is the rule for their case. We will discuss various sources of law, and how they get updated. And the resources we have at VLA/LSLL.