Event Overview

Jury Selection Best Practices – Implicit Bias and Batson

Saturday, January 21, 2023

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM — In-Person CLE Program – Sutton Center, Second Floor

12:30 PM – 2:00 PM — Awards Luncheon – Regent Ballroom, Second Floor

3.0 MCLE Credits
1.0 Credit Areas of Professional Practice; 2.0 Credits Areas of Skills

This program is transitional and is suitable for all attorneys
including those newly admitted.

This year’s Criminal Justice Section Annual Meeting CLE will be a comprehensive review of jury selection.  The program will be comprised of three panels consisting of a moderator, judge, prosecutor, and defense counsel, all of whom have extensive jury selection and trial experience.

Section Chair & Program Co-Chair
David Louis Cohen, Esq.
Law Office of David L. Cohen
Kew Gardens, NY

Program Co-Chair
Nigel Farinha, Esq.
Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor
New York, NY

Start your Annual Meeting registration

General Registration Fee

Required for in-person attendees.
NYSBA Members$215
Non-members$300

+plus…

$105 Program Registration Fee

Optional Add-On

$100 (Section Member)/$130 (Non-Section Member) Luncheon Event Fee

Start your Annual Meeting registration

Saturday, January 21, 2023

3.0 MCLE Credits
1.0 Credit Areas of Professional Practice; 2.0 Credits Areas of Skills

This program is transitional and is suitable for all attorneys
including those newly admitted.

9:00 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.

Welcome and Section Business Meeting and Election of Officers

Section Chair & Program Co-Chair
David Louis Cohen, Esq.
Law Office of David L. Cohen
Kew Gardens, NY


Program Co-Chair
Nigel Farinha, Esq.
Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor
New York, NY


Nominating Committee Chair
Norman Effman, Esq.
Wyoming County Public Defender
Warsaw, NY


The New York Bar Foundation

9:10 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Jury Selection Best Practices

The panel will discuss from their own perspectives how an effective voir dire should be conducted.

Speaker

Robert J. Masters, Esq. | Special Assistant District Attorney for Rockland County Little Neck, NY

Meredith Holtzman, Esq. | Assistant District Attorney Bronx County District Attorney’s Office

Scott Banks | Attorney in Chief of the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County New York, NY

Hon. Kenneth Holder | New York Supreme Court 11th Judicial District Kew Gardens, NY

1.0 Credit in Areas of Skills

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Conducting A Voir Dire and Batson Challenges

The panel will provide insight on how to properly conduct a voir dire to avoid Batson challenges and the current proposals to change how courts rule on Batson challenges.

Speaker

Norman Effman, Esq. | Wyoming County Public Defender, Warsaw, NY

Aaron Kaplan Esq. | Assistant District Attorney, Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, Bronx, NY

Hon. Abraham Clott | New York Supreme Court, Criminal Term, New York, NY

Moderator

Hon. Mark R. Dwyer (Ret.) | New York Supreme Court, Criminal Term; New York, NY

1.0 Credit in Areas of Skills

11:00 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.

Break

11:10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Implicit Bias

Panel will discuss recent changes to jury instructions relating to implicit bias and how to conduct an effective voir dire to recognize implicit bias.

Speaker

Nigel Farinha | Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor New York, NY

Seymour W. James Esq. | Barket, Epstein, Kearon, Aldea & LoTurco, LLP New York, NY

Hon. Daniel P. Conviser | Acting Justice, New York County Supreme Court, Criminal Term, First Judicial District of New York New York, NY

Moderator

Hon. Cheryl Chambers | Associate Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department Brooklyn, NY

1.0 Credit in Areas of Professional Practice

Robert J. Masters, Esq.
Special Assistant District Attorney for Rockland County
Little Neck, NY

Meredith Holtzman, Esq.
Assistant District Attorney
Bronx County District Attorney’s Office

Scott Banks
Attorney in Chief of the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County
New York, NY

Hon. Kenneth Holder
New York Supreme Court 11th Judicial District
Kew Gardens, NY

Moderator:
Hon. Mark R. Dwyer (Ret.)
New York Supreme Court, Criminal Term
New York, NY

Speakers:
Norman Effman, Esq.
Wyoming County Public Defender
Warsaw, NY

Aaron Kaplan Esq.
Assistant District Attorney
Bronx County District Attorney’s Office
Bronx, NY

Moderator:
Hon. Cheryl Chambers
Associate Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department
Brooklyn, NY

Speakers:
Nigel Farinha
Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor
New York, NY

Seymour W. James Esq.
Barket, Epstein, Kearon, Aldea & LoTurco, LLP
New York, NY

Hon. Daniel P. Conviser
Acting Justice, New York County Supreme Court, Criminal Term, First Judicial District of New York
New York, NY