St. Crispin’s Day Registration

[By Wes Bryant and Natasha Silas]

We at the Federal Defender Program know this has been a tough year for our friends on the CJA Panel. We are all appointed to represent people who are vilified by prosecutors, judges, and the public, and we all fight for justice despite countless systemic obstacles. And now even the compensation for appointed counsel is under threat. We stand with our friends on the CJA Panel.

There is no better time than the St. Crispin’s Day CLE Celebration, on October 22–23, 2025, for the FDP and the CJA Panel to come together, to reflect on our challenges, and to celebrate our shared victories.

The theme this year will be “CSI: Atlanta—Litigating in a Surveillance State,” and we’ll be hosting a powerful lineup of experts on government surveillance, tech-based evidence, forensic chemistry, firearms and toolmark evidence, grand jury testimony, and confronting government expert witnesses. Plus, we’ll offer sessions on the Supreme Court, the Sentencing Guidelines, and more, from local friends Leigh Ann Webster, Don Samuel, Leigh Finlayson, Suzanne Hashimi, Joe Austin, Stephen Johnson, Matthew Dodge, and Natasha Silas.

And we have good news! Registration for the St. Crispin’s Day event is free (!) for CJA Panel members thanks to the generous support Nelson Mullins; Garland, Samuel & Loeb; Finch McCranie; Bondurant Mixson & Elmore; Uchenna Ekuma-Nkama; and The Corso Law Center. For all other attendees, there will be a modest $60 registration fee to help cover the costs of putting on the event.

You will find the registration link here. We look forward to seeing you there.