The Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan will present the CDAM 2025 Spring Conference, “Brass Tacks: The Ins and Outs of State and Federal Practice,” Friday and Saturday, March 14-15, at the Auburn Hills Marriott, 3600 Centerpoint Parkway in Pontiac.
The schedule includes:
—Friday, March 14
• 9-9:10 a.m. Stakeholder Updates by CDAM President Bernard A. Jocuns
• 9:10-10:15 a.m. Keynote: Cynthia Rosenberry
• 10:15-10:30 a.m. Break
• 10:30-11:15 a.m. Well-Being For Criminal Defense Attorneys, with Marla McCowan
• 11:15 a.m.-noon Rebuttable Presumption Against Jail or Probation for Non-Serious Misdemeanors, with William Nahikian
• Noon-1 p.m. Lunch option:
- Working Lunch with Stephanie Farkas and Eric Buchanan
- Group Lunch
- Lunch on Your Own
• 1-5 p.m. Select a Track
- State Track
• 1-2 p.m. Transforming How We Advocate for Pre-Trial Release, with Alex Karakatsanis
• 2-3 p.m. 10 Tips for a Successful Preliminary Examination, with Mary Chartier
• 3:15-4 p.m. Contempt of Court, with Ken Mogill and Arthur Jay Weiss
• 4-5 p.m. Challenges in Representing a Mentally Ill Client, with Jennifer Zoltowski and Bernard A. Jocuns
- Federal
• 1-2 p.m. Plea Bargains, with James Gerome
• 2-3 p.m. Calculating and Fighting Guidelines, with Leslie Scott
• 3:15-4 p.m. Cell Phone Searches, with Michael Carter and Matthew Borgula
• 4-5 p.m. Federal Updates: 6th Circuit, with Benton Martin
• 6:15 p.m. CDAM Awards Dinner (separate registration fee) honoring Mary Chartier with CDAM’s 2025 Right to Counsel Award and Patricia A. Maceroni with CDAM’s 2025 Penny R. Beardslee Excellence in Education Award
—Saturday, March 15
• 9-10:30 a.m. Michigan Law Updates, with Matt Monahan
• 10:30-11 a.m. Legislative Updates, with Noah Smith
• 11-11:30 a.m. Amicus Updates, with Christine Pagac
• 11:30-11:45 a.m. Break
• 11:45-1 p.m. Michigan Sentencing Guidelines, with Anne Yantus
Cost is $480 for CDAM members and $600 for nonmembers. Some county/court funding units will pay for part, or all, of the cost of a registration. It is up to registrants to contact their local funding unit to determine what is applicable and what payment or reimbursement method will be used.
The schedule includes:
• 9-9:10 a.m. Stakeholder Updates by CDAM President Bernard A. Jocuns
• 9:10-10:15 a.m. Keynote: Cynthia Rosenberry
• 10:15-10:30 a.m. Break
• 10:30-11:15 a.m. Well-Being For Criminal Defense Attorneys, with Marla McCowan
• 11:15 a.m.-noon Rebuttable Presumption Against Jail or Probation for Non-Serious Misdemeanors, with William Nahikian
• Noon-1 p.m. Lunch option:
- Working Lunch with Stephanie Farkas and Eric Buchanan
- Group Lunch
- Lunch on Your Own
• 1-5 p.m. Select a Track
- State Track
• 1-2 p.m. Transforming How We Advocate for Pre-Trial Release, with Alex Karakatsanis
• 2-3 p.m. 10 Tips for a Successful Preliminary Examination, with Mary Chartier
• 3:15-4 p.m. Contempt of Court, with Ken Mogill and Arthur Jay Weiss
• 4-5 p.m. Challenges in Representing a Mentally Ill Client, with Jennifer Zoltowski and Bernard A. Jocuns
- Federal
• 1-2 p.m. Plea Bargains, with James Gerome
• 2-3 p.m. Calculating and Fighting Guidelines, with Leslie Scott
• 3:15-4 p.m. Cell Phone Searches, with Michael Carter and Matthew Borgula
• 4-5 p.m. Federal Updates: 6th Circuit, with Benton Martin
• 6:15 p.m. CDAM Awards Dinner (separate registration fee) honoring Mary Chartier with CDAM’s 2025 Right to Counsel Award and Patricia A. Maceroni with CDAM’s 2025 Penny R. Beardslee Excellence in Education Award
• 9-10:30 a.m. Michigan Law Updates, with Matt Monahan
• 10:30-11 a.m. Legislative Updates, with Noah Smith
• 11-11:30 a.m. Amicus Updates, with Christine Pagac
• 11:30-11:45 a.m. Break
• 11:45-1 p.m. Michigan Sentencing Guidelines, with Anne Yantus
Cost is $480 for CDAM members and $600 for nonmembers. Some county/court funding units will pay for part, or all, of the cost of a registration. It is up to registrants to contact their local funding unit to determine what is applicable and what payment or reimbursement method will be used.
