Q: How many CLE credits are available through Conference?
A: For Oregon Attorneys: Prior Conferences have had 11-13 Oregon CLE credits available. NCVLI is in the process of applying for Oregon CLE credit, including at least 1 hour of ethics. We will have a precise number of approved credits available soon. For Other Attorneys: For states beyond Oregon please see the next FAQ.
Q: Are my CLE credits earned at Conference applicable outside of Oregon?
A: Attendees seeking CLE credit outside of Oregon will be provided with a certificate of attendance which notes the number of hours of training. Attendees can then petition their state Bar Association for credit. NCVLI does not seek certification outside of Oregon.
Q: Can my organization provide information to conference attendees? If so, how?
A: For a fee, NCVLI will have an unstaffed space for victim service nonprofit and governmental organizations to display literature such as brochures, pamphlets, and leaflets. A full table can be purchased for $500 and shared table for $250. Space is limited, however. Please contact us at ncvliconference@lclark.edu to discuss the display of your materials.
Q: Are scholarships available for attendees?
A: Yes, professional development scholarships and a student scholarship are available. Please see the registration and tuition page for more information on how to apply.
Q: Can I get a DVD or CD of Conference content?
A: NCVLI does not provide CD or DVD of Conference materials. We do, however, provide attendees access to a password-protected website on which all Conference materials (e.g. PowerPoints, cases, pleadings) are uploaded and can be viewed and downloaded for personal use after Conference.
Q: Can I register for just one day of Conference?
A: Yes, single day rates are available. Please see the Conference program and registration & tuition page for further information.
Q: I registered for Conference but am only able to attend one day or cannot attend the event at all, can I transfer my registration to someone else?
A: No. We are unable to accommodate requests for transfer of registration from one party to another. If you have extenuating circumstances and would like to know more, please contact us at ncvliconference@lclark.edu.
Q: I am unable to attend Conference but would like a copy of Conference materials. How do I obtain a copy of the materials if I am not an attendee?
A: All materials provided at Conference or made available on the password protected website after the Conference are solely for the benefit of paid Conference attendees. If you are a paid attendee but simply cannot attend you will still have access to the password-protected website after the Conference. If you are not a paid attendee we cannot provide you the materials.
Q: Is transportation provided to the conference?
A: For attendees who stay downtown, transportation will be provided from the Marriott Downtown Waterfront Hotel to the Conference at Lewis & Clark Law School. There will be 2-3 departure times in the morning and 2-3 returning times in the evening. Parking is also available for attendees driving to campus.
Q: What is different about this training?
A: The Crime Victim Law Conference is the only national conference focusing on victim law, including enforcement of victims’ rights in criminal cases. So while many trainings are about services and support for victims, this conference looks at the law of victims’ rights in all systems (criminal, civil, administrative). While many sessions are taught by lawyers, we integrate a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding the impact of law, rights, and the justice system on victims. We also ensure that while the focus is law, advocates and allied professionals benefit from the sessions as increased understanding of the law and its impact is good for everyone who works with victims.
Q: Who is the target audience?
A: Our target audience includes lawyers, advocates, and allied professionals working with victims as they navigate justice systems (criminal, civil, administrative).
Q: Is this Conference a look at victim’s rights at a national level?
A: The conference includes breakout sessions, and plenaries that address broad, national victims’ rights issues, but also offers glimpses of state- and local-level work so that individuals from different jurisdictions can learn from each other’s practices.
Q: In the overview it states the conference focuses on rights enforcement in criminal cases, what do you mean?
A: Most states have constitutional amendments and every state has a statutory scheme that afford victims’ rights during the criminal investigation and prosecution of the perpetrator. These right generally include the rights to be notified, present, and heard at certain times and to seek restitution. Often these rights are left to the prosecutor to assert on the victim’s behalf, which can mean that the rights are not advocated for as aggressively as a victim may hope, and at other times despite the prosecutor’s advocacy courts ignore the rights and no one seeks appellate relief. “Victims’ rights enforcement” is that part of victim law that is about victim’s asserting their rights independently in criminal trial courts and seeking appellate review when the rights are denied.
Q: For those of us funded by the Office of Violence against Women, is this an OVW-approved training?
A: We are currently seeking OVW approval for the conference and will post it online as soon as we receive it. Historically, we have always received approval so we anticipate being approved this year as well.
Update (4/25/16): Approval is still pending, but grantees should check in with their specific grant monitor for options at this time.
The 2015 Awards have been announced:
Outstanding Achievement Awards
– Legal Advocacy Award – Mariam El-menshawi
– Gail Burns-Smith Excellence in Victim Services Award – Valenda Applegarth
– Victims’ Rights Partnership Award – Dr. Jerry Yager
Past Recipients
Legal Advocacy Award
2015 – Network for Victim Recovery of DC
2014 – Amy Terrible
2013 – Russell Butler
2012 – Erin Olson
2011 – Steve Kelly
2010 – Heidi Nestel
2009 – Crime Victims Legal Assistance Project
2008 – Steven J. Twist
2007 – Jamie Mills
2006 – Cynthia Hora
2005 – Paul Cassell
2004 – Richard D. Pompelio
2003 – Jay Howell & Cynthia Lee Carter
2002 – Lyn Schollett
2001 – Wendy Murphy
Gail Burns-Smith Excellence in Victim Services Award
2015 – Johanna Costa
2014 – Catherine Harper Lee
2013 – Chanpone Sinlapasai
2012 – Jennifer Storm
2011- Anne Seymour
2010 – Steve Doell
2009 – Steve Derene
2008 – Roberta Roper
2007 – John Stein
2006 – Diane Moyer
2005 – Kathy Skaggs
2004 – Gail Burns-Smith
Victims’ Rights Partnership Award
2015 – Detective Carrie Hull
2014 – Courthouse Dogs Foundation
2013 – Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST)
2012 – Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center & Denver District Attorney’s Office
2011- Alaska Office of Victims’ Rights
2010 – Victim Witness Section of the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arizona
2009 – Mónica Ramírez
2008 – Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, James McIntyre, & Russ Rato
2007 – Attorney General Hardy Myers
2006 – Grant County Prosecutor’s Office & Dano, Gilbert & Ahrend P.L.L.C.
NCVLI’s annual Crime Victim Law Conference, now in its 15th year, continues to be the only national conference 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 10-11, 2016 in Portland, Oregon.
