2024 Color of Mitigation

This presentation provides steps/guide for legal teams on how to select the right DVO specialist tailored to the unique dynamics and challenges of  their case. We will focus on the role of the DVO, qualifications of the DVO, and key factors in evaluating the DVO specialist. Attendees will get a chance to explore practical criteria for interviewing and assessing DVO candidates. By selecting the right DVO specialist, they can enhance communication, foster mutual understanding, and contribute positively to case outcomes.

This presentation explores the history of Hip-Hop, its origins, elements, and the need to a create culture outside of mainstream society. We will discuss Hip-Hop culture, how it gives a voice and agency to our clients, and some unique ways to incorporate Hip-Hop into our practice and advocacy. We will discuss the voice that emerged out of the need to expose the nature of disenfranchisement, disinvestment, and criminalization of members of marginalized communities. The storytelling element of Hip-Hop has become a way to communicate, share ideas, discuss the harms that our clients experience, and demand racial equity. Because capital habeas work relies on the mitigation and storytelling abilities of both clients and attorneys, we will discuss how Hip-Hop can be used as a resource to speak truth to power for our clients.