Effective Advocacy in the Virtual CPS Courtroom
Please join the Children's Commission on Friday, May 22, 2020 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. CST for a 90-minute webcast entitled “Effective Advocacy in the Virtual CPS Courtroom.” This webcast is designed for all practitioners on the CPS docket. Moderated by Hon. Rob Hofmann, Judge of 452nd District Court and Jurist in Residence for the Children’s Commission, this panel discussion will include a prosecutor, a parent’s attorney, and an Ad Litem who will discuss best practices and pitfalls to watch out for when preparing cases and clients for a virtual hearing.
Topics covered will include how to facilitate the client’s meaningful participation in a virtual hearing; how to properly elicit testimony on Zoom; how to properly enter evidence on Zoom; and how to review orders in a virtual setting. Viewers will learn how to effectively advocate for their clients and apply these skills before, during, and after remote CPS hearings. Panelists are Dennis Arriaga, Managing Attorney for Region 8, DFPS; Jana Clift-Williams, court-appointed attorney in Caldwell, Comal and Guadalupe Counties; and Ann Marie Smith, court-appointed attorney in Bexar, Comal, Hays, Guadalupe, and Caldwell counties.
