State Based Training for Capital Litigators in the Rocky Mountains.

The purpose of the Capital Case Litigation Initiative (CCLI) is to provide high-quality training and technical assistance on death penalty issues to prosecutors and defense counsel who litigate death penalty cases. This program focuses on ensuring quality representation in death penalty cases and trials. The goals of CCLI are to increase the number of capital litigation attorneys trained in death penalty cases, and to ensure that defense counsel and prosecutors have the most up-to-date and comprehensive information available to them on death penalty litigation.

The University of Montana, through the School of Law, will utilize the CCLI grant funds to train defense counsel and prosecution. The School of Law will hold five trainings through this award. Both the defense and prosecutors will be invited to two trainings specific to their discipline. One additional training will be for both defense and prosecutors and will cover in-trial motions and include a mock court, with each side acting in their normal roles. Attendees at the trainings will be taught a variety of issues specific to their discipline, will study specific cases, and will conduct reviews of pending/current capital litigation cases.

The University will hold distance-learning events for both defense and prosecutorial practitioners who are unable to attend one of the on-site trainings. The University will also conduct train-the-trainer sessions for attendees who will train at later events that will not be funded by this award.

CA/NCF