Federal Capital voir dire training
Theory & Intense Practice

co-sponsored by the federal capital trial project &
the national college of capital voir dire

TUESDAY JAN 26 - THURSDAY JAN 28, 2027
Baltimore, Maryland

(Program ends at 1:00 pm on Thursday)

PROGRAM INFORMATION AND MATERIALS FOR REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS HERE.

Join faculty from the National College for Capital Voir Dire (NCCVD) and the Federal Capital Trial Project for a fantastic two-and-a-half-day hands-on training program.

Recognized as the standard of practice for jury selection in capital defense, the Constitutional method (Colorado Method) of jury selection translates core Supreme Court jurisprudence into a systematic approach for life-saving jury selection.

This program teaches the Constitutional method of capital voir dire by using a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and small group exercises involving mock jurors. Participants will work with a group of experienced capital defense counsel who have used this method of voir dire in highly aggravated federal and state cases. Faculty are masters of capital voir dire.

This proven method has been instrumental in eradicating the death penalty in Colorado, and saved capital defendants in scores of federal and state cases across the country. Defenders will learn to operationalize core Supreme Court jurisprudence to secure and conduct legally obligated robust questioning.

The program is designed for attorneys to learn and practice capital voir dire. Non-attorney team members - paralegals, investigators, mitigation specialists, and others - are encouraged to register and join their team to learn the method and support the team in developing the Special Juror Questionnaire, rating jurors, and preparing for and conducting skilled and effective voir dire. The non-attorney team members attend the lectures and then participate in the small group breakout sessions as mock jurors (they will not be practicing the questioning methods in the small groups).