Registration is required to attend. Details, including the agenda, presenters and approved CLE credit, will be posted here once confirmed.

Advanced Prosecution Trial Skills: CLE Course on Capital & Non-Capital Cases
Master the Art of Trial Advocacy with Texas’s Leading Prosecutors & Experts

Chair: Joshua Somers, Texas Criminal Prosecutions Division, OAG

Course Overview

Prosecuting capital and high-stakes felony cases demands precision, strategic preparation, and mastery of evolving legal standards. This exclusive CLE course, led by Texas’s most accomplished prosecutors and subject-matter experts, delivers practical, battle-tested techniques to secure convictions and navigate complex legal challenges.

Whether you’re litigating a death penalty case, child homicide, or high-profile felonies, this program equips you with:

Advanced Trial Strategies – From pre-trial investigation to closing arguments, learn how top prosecutors build unbeatable cases.
Cutting-Edge Forensic & Digital Evidence – Leverage the latest tools in digital forensics and medical examiner insights.
Ethical & Brady Compliance – Avoid pitfalls in discovery while maintaining prosecutorial integrity.
Persuasive Jury Selection & Motions Practice – Gain an edge in voir dire and pre-trial litigation.
Specialized Knowledge – Tackle unique challenges like intellectual disability claims, prison security threats, and child death investigations.

This course was funded by a grant from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Who Should Attend?

With the exception of invited faculty, attendance is limited to prosecuting attorneys and their personnel that handle capital, violent, or complex felony cases.

Topics and Faculty

MCLE Credit

This course is pending approval for 12 hours of CLE accreditation.

In addition to Texas, after the program (if requested) CAIL will directly apply for course accreditation in the following states, as long as course materials and evaluations are not required: California, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Credit hours vary depending on the jurisdiction. Attorneys may be eligible to receive CLE credit through attorney self-submission in other states, as long as course materials and evaluations are not required to be submitted.

Overnight Accommodations

NYLO Dallas Plano Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
8201 Preston Rd.
Plano, TX 75024

Book Hotel

Tuition Waiver Policy

Attendees may qualify for a waiver after submission of the following

A 100-word-or-less response qualifying their need for funds (must be sent 4 weeks prior to a program via this form).

A response may be substituted with a letter from a sponsor, mentor, or other qualifying reference for consideration for the scholarship. Priority may be given to applicants with a letter of recommendation.

These applications will be evaluated by the Program Manager. Apply for the tuition waiver via our form.

Once selected, we will be in contact to confirm the tuition waiver.

We have a scholarship policy for anyone wanting to attend an in-person program but may lack the means to travel, lodge, and purchase meals along the way. Please follow this link if you are interested in applying for the scholarship.

Please email Melissa Hooper if you have any questions.

Other Information

Photo/Audio/Video Release

Registration for or attendance at this event acknowledges consent to be recorded or photographed. We reserve the right to use any photograph/video taken at our events, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. We may use the photograph/video in publications or other media material produced, used or contracted including but not limited to: brochures, invitations, books, newspapers, magazines, television, websites, annual reports, newsletters, etc. To ensure the privacy of individuals, images will not be identified using full names or personal identifying information without written approval from the photographed subject.

Cancellation Policy

Written cancellation must be received 5 business days prior to a program to receive a refund (Email: lgaspar@cailaw.org). After this date, no refunds, but substitution of attendees for this program will be permitted with prior approval. Registrants not entitled to a refund will receive the course materials. Note: Free registrants must attend the program to receive materials at no cost.

Nondiscriminatory Policy

The Center for American and International Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status in educational activities, scholarship programs or admissions.

Privacy Policy

We do not sell or rent information to any outside parties. By providing your information, you will receive postal and electronic communications from The Center for American and International Law (CAIL) in accordance with CAIL's Privacy Policy. If we co-sponsor a program with another organization, information may be shared between the parties. All such co-sponsors will be identified on the event details and registration page. At any point, you can opt-out or unsubscribe by selecting either link at the bottom of each email or call us at 972.244.3400.

Capital And Non-Capital Trial Skills for the Prosecution

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Overview