NCVLI’s annual Crime Victim Law Conference, now in its 12th year, continues to be the only conference in the country focusing on rights enforcement in criminal cases, which is a critical but often overlooked component of holistic victim services.  The Conference provides participants with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to provide effective legal services to victims of crime. The Conference will take place June 7-8, 2013 in Portland, Oregon.

The 2013 Conference is themed Constructing Justice: Making Victims’ Rights a Reality, urging us to develop, implement, and share best practices that will achieve justice for victims.  Concrete tools ensure that victims’ rights become more than mere words on paper.

The Conference will feature plenary sessions and breakout sessions addressing a wide range of topics related to victims’ rights, taught by leading experts from across the country.  Keynote speakers will include survivor Jennifer Bennett and her attorney Jennifer Coughlin, featured on NBC’s Today Show for Ms. Bennett’s heroic bravery in the face of extreme invasions of her privacy during the prosecution of the man who sexually assaulted her. 12.5 credits are pending approval from the Oregon State Bar for the 2013 Conference.

See the photo gallery from the 2013 conference here

TENTATIVE CONFERENCE PROGRAM

12.5 credits are being applied for from the Oregon State Bar for the National Crime Victim Law Conference

Friday, June 7, 2013

7:30 am Breakfast

8:30am Welcome and Conference Opening
Meg Garvin, M.A., JD, Clinical Professor of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School, Executive Director of NCVLI
Diane McKeel, Commissioner, Multinomah County
The Honorable Ellen Rosenblum, JD, Attorney General for the State of Oregon

9:00am Opening Plenary

Fighting for Privacy in an Online Age:  A Survivor’s Legal Battle
Jennifer Bennett
Jennifer Coughlin, JD, Brothers, Hawn & Coughlin, LLP

10:00am Breakout Sessions

Fundamentals of Victims’ Rights for Attorneys
Rebecca Khalil, JD, NCVLI

Harm and Causation: Two Key Hurdles for Victims Seeking Rights Under the CVRA
Paula Pierce, JD, Manager of Hotline Programs, Texas Legal Services Center

Why Language Matters: Strategies to Support LGBTQ Survivors of Violence
Sharon Stapel, Esq.., Executive Director of the New York City Anti–Violence Project

Applying Crime Victim Law to Strategic Advantage in Human Trafficking Cases
Marianna Warmee, JD, Federal Administrative Judge, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, San Francisco District Office

12:00pm Luncheon Plenary

Panel: The Frontier of Victim Restitution
Antonio R. Sarabia II, JD, IP Business Law Inc.
Amy Liu, JD, NCVLI

Presentation of Outstanding Achievement Awards

1:20pm Breakout Sessions

The Victim’s Right to Attend the Trial: A Win – Win for Victims, Prosecutors, and the System
Brian McDonough, JD, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office in Ohio
Terry Campos, JD, NCVLI

Victims’ Rights Pre – Charging and During Plea:  Do They Exist and How Do You Fight for Them?
Steve Twist, JD, Vice President and General Counsel, Services Group of America, Inc.

Emerging Perspectives: Law Students’ Vision of Victims’ Rights
Law Student Panel
Facilitated by Sarah LeClair, JD, NCVLI

Children’s Advocacy Centers: An Evidence – Based Victims’ Rights Oriented Response to Child Abuse Chris Newlin, M.S., L.P.C., Executive Director, National Children’s Advocacy Center

3:10pm Breakout Sessions

Collaborating in Response to Identity Theft:  Technology, a Toolkit, and More
Russell Butler, JD, Executive Director, Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center, Inc.

A New Model: Special Victim Prosecutors – What it Means for the Future of Victims’ Rights
Lisa Teesch-Maguire, JD, Victims’ Rights Advocate, Office of the District Attorney, 18th Judicial District

Keli Luther, JD, Deputy County Attorney, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office

Polyvictimization and Complex Trauma: What Practitioners Need to Know
Dr. Jerry Yager, Psy.D., Director of Training, Denver Children’s Advocacy Center

Effective Holistic Representation of Crime Victims: What Every Attorney Should Know
Josh Lamborn, JD, The Law Office of Josh Lamborn P.C

4:40pm End of Day One

4:40pm-7:00pm Crime Victims’ Rights Reception and Awards

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Saturday, June 8, 2012

8:15am Breakfast

9:00am Breakout Sessions

Trauma and Vicarious Trauma: What Practitioners Need to Know
Dr. Christopher Wilson, Psy.D.

Understanding The Sword and Shield of Technology
Valenda Applegarth, JD, Senior Attorney, Greater Boston Legal Services

Life After Sandusky: Reforming Child Protection Legislation
Diane Moyer, JD, Legal Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape

When Victims Get Sued: Best Practices in Defending SLAPP Suits
Erin Olson, JD, The Law Office of Erin Olson, PC

10:50 Breakout Sessions

After the Gavel Falls: Application of the Federal Crime Victims’ Rights Act in Habeas Corpus Proceedings
Alice B. Lustre, JD, Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice

“I Can’t Give You Legal Advice But …”: Guidelines for Providing Advocacy in a Legal Setting While Avoiding the Unauthorized Practice of Law
Heidi Nestel, JD, Executive Director, Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic

Analyzing the Psychological Impact of the Legal System’s Response to Rape Survivors on the Survivors
Rebecca Campbell, PhD, Michigan State University

Expanding Our Reach and Impact:  Collaboration Opportunities for Child Advocacy Centers and Civil Victim Attorneys
Andrew H. Agatston, JD, Andrew H. Agatston, P.C.
Chris Newlin, M.S., L.P.C., Executive Director, National Children’s Advocacy Center

12:10 Luncheon Plenary

Panel:  Protecting Victims’ Rights & Interests in Mass Victimization Cases
Michelle S. Cruz, JD, Former State Victim Advocate, Connecticut Office of the Victim Advocate
Keli Luther, JD, Deputy County Attorney, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office

Presentation of Outstanding Achievement Awards

1:45pm Breakout Sessions

Intersections of Identity Theft and Violent Crime:  Collaborative Responses for Victims When ID Theft is Used as a Weapon to Perpetrate Sexual Assault, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence
Bridgette Harwood, JD, Co–Executive Director, Criminal Legal Services
Nikki Charles, M.A., Co–Executive Director, Therapeutic and Victim Advocacy, Network for Victim Recovery of D.C.

Rape Shield: Holes in the Armor?
Ali Wilkinson, JD, NCVLI

A Complex and Compassionate Response:  The Role of Victim/Witness Assistance Centers in Responding to Violence Against Women in California
Heather Warnken, JD, LL.M., Legal Policy Associate at the Warren Institute on Law & Social Policy, The University of California, Berkeley School of Law

Year in Review and Preview
Meg Garvin,M.A., JD, Clinical Professor of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School, Executive Director of NCVLI

3:35pm Closing Plenary-New Horizons: Mini-Sessions on Where the Future of Victims’ Rights Lies

An Overview of the Air Force’s New Special Victims Counsel Program for Sexual Assault Victims
General Richard Harding, Lieutenant General, United States Air Force

The Gaps in the Federal Crime Victims’ Rights Act and Where we Need to Go in the Future
Doug Beloof, JD, Professor of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School, Founder and Member of the Board of Directors, NCVLI

4:30pm End of Conference

Who Should Attend?

The Crime Victim Law Conference is primarily designed for attorneys (e.g., victims’ rights attorneys, prosecutors, civil victim attorneys, judges, defense attorneys), system-based and community-based advocates, other criminal justice professionals, law students, and victims/survivors.

NCVLI’s annual Crime Victim Law Conference provides the opportunity to pause and acknowledge the amazing work of the heroes and heroines of the victims’ rights movement.  These are the people who help victims move toward survivorship and who inspire the rest of us to continue fighting for justice each day.  Please join NCVLI as we honor these amazing people.

Outstanding Achievement Awards

Russell Butler, JD
2013 Legal Advocacy Award

NCVLI’s Legal Advocacy Award recognizes crime victims’ rights attorneys who have dedicated and committed their time to representing victims of crime in the criminal justice system.

Russell P. Butler, JD, serves as Executive Director of the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center, Inc. (MCVRC).  Russell has litigated for victims in trial and appellate courts in Maryland, and beyond.  Russell serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Baltimore Law School teaching “The Rights of Crime Victims” starting in 2005 and he served in 2007 as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Baltimore teaching a graduate course in criminal justice regarding victims.  From 1985 to 2002, Russell served as lobbyist for the Stephanie Roper Committee, Inc., and as legal counsel for the Stephanie Roper Foundation, Inc. He has successfully advocated for numerous statutes and court rules; most recently, he drafted and Maryland adopted House Bill 250 which allows victims to file a direct appeal to the appellate court and for the court to provide a remedy for the violation of a victim’s rights.

Chanpone Sinlapasai, JD
2013 Gail Burns-Smith Excellence in Victim Services Award

A member of our Board of Directors from 2002 until her untimely death in 2009, Gail Burns-Smith was a tireless leader in the victim services community.  This award honors her legacy by recognizing outstanding efforts to advance the rights of crime victims.

Chanpone Sinlapasai-Okamura, JD, was a refugee from Laos. After living in a refugee camp in Thailand for over a year her family resettled in California. She was raised in northern California and was the first in her family to attend college. Chanpone ultimately attended Lewis & Clark Law School. Seeing the cultural, linguistic, and social barriers that her family faced in resettling in the United States, Chanpone knew that her passion was advocating for vulnerable populations. She started her career by working and volunteering to assist survivors of crime at Immigrant Refugee Community Organization and Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services. Chanpone is now a partner at Marandas & McClellan where she focuses on immigration law and specializes in assisting survivors of crime.

Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST)
2013 Victims’ Rights Partnership Award

NCVLI’s Victims’ Rights Partnership Award recognizes the collaborative efforts of individuals and/or organizations who have devoted their time to advancing crime victims’ rights.

The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual human rights organization. CAST provides comprehensive long-term services through a three-pronged empowerment approach which includes Comprehensive Client Services (social and legal), Outreach and Training, and Survivor-led advocacy. CAST’s mission is to assist persons trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and slavery-like practices and to work toward ending all instances of such human rights violations. CAST has been nationally and internationally recognized for its dedication to the identification of victims, mobilization of all sectors of the community to identify and advocate against trafficking, and provision of direct services for victims.


2013 NCVLI Service Awards

Perkins Coie, LLP
2013 Pro Bono of the Year

NCVLI’s Pro Bono Award recognizes an attorney or firm who has dedicated significant time to partnering with NCVLI in the protection, enforcement, and advancement of victims’ rights.  The recipient has either worked alongside NCVLI attorneys to assist with NCVLI’s work on legal technical assistance requests, amicus curiae briefs, and public policy projects; has provided direct representation to victims of crime in criminal proceedings; or, has served as local counsel in the filing of amicus briefs. 

With more than 60 attorneys, Perkins Coie is one of the largest firms in Portland. It’s legal services cover more than 25 practice areas, including corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, emerging companies, securities, litigation, real estate and land use, intellectual property, bankruptcy, creditors’ rights and restructuring, and environment, energy and resources.  It’s lawyers provide legal counsel and representation to leading regional, national and international companies in many industries, including technology, manufacturing, finance and natural resources. Perkins Coie is ranked by Chambers USA in the top band of law firms in Oregon for corporate law and environmental law.  Lawyers in our litigation practice have also been named by Chambers Global  as “leaders in their field.” This year Perkins Coie assisted with two significant cases in Oregon on behalf of victims. 

Caroline Park
2013 Volunteer of the Year

NCVLI’s Volunteer Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a deep commitment to victims’ rights by providing significant contributions to NCVLI’s work on behalf of victims. 

Caroline Park came to NCVLI in September 2012 with a background in private sector marketing as well as public and nonprofit administration related to environmental issues.  Caroline volunteers at NCVLI’s offices regularly as a “Jill of all trades.”  From data entry and data management, to publications production, to writing grants, to event coordination, Caroline has jumped in on nearly every aspect of NCVLI’s functioning.  So far, Caroline has donated over 150 hours to NCVLI!  During the rest of her time, Caroline works for the River Network, a network of more than 2,000 state, regional and local grassroots organizations whose primary mission is protecting water as a natural resource.  In late May Caroline traveled to Missouri to coordinate the River Network’s annual national conference of more than 500 attendees. She also works at the Aviary Restaurant in Portland.  In her free time she loves doing anything outdoors, especially on the coast, and enjoys food preservation and crocheting.