Practical Advice: Basic Strategies for a Bench Trial

MCLE Credits: 2.0
Ethics Credits Included: 0.0

Friday, August 25, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET Live Webcast Live Telephone Live on Site at Bobzien-Gaither Education Center 4801 Cox Road, Suite 108 (Richmond/Innsbrook - Glen Allen)
MCLE Credit:	2.0
Live-Interactive Credit:	2.0 (all formats)
Designation Credit:	2.0 Trial Practice/Litigation (Designations Information)
Registration Fees:	Live on Site: $159 Webcast: $159 Telephone: $179

Information
Schedule
Faculty
Locations, Dates and Fees

Information

Why Attend?

Explore situations when you would prefer a bench trial to a jury trial
Learn specific strategies that can be deployed in bench trials

When trying a case, preparing for the trier of fact can be just as important as preparing the facts of the case. Don’t make the mistake of approaching a bench trial the same way that you approach a jury trial. In this comprehensive and practical course, our experienced faculty will guide you through the strategies and techniques essential to presenting your case effectively and persuasively in front of a judge.

Covered topics include:

Factors that can influence the decision for a jury or bench trial: statutes, court rules, jury instructions
Rules of evidence: how hearsay and impeachment rules might make a bench trial better (or worse) for your client
Financial considerations of a bench trial instead of a jury trial
Stipulations in bench trials
Expert witnesses in bench trials
Reasons why a bench trial can create a better record on appeal
Ethical considerations of forum selection

ATTENDING IN PERSON ON AUGUST 25?

The Bobzien-Gaither Education Center in Richmond/Innsbrook is our new state-of-the-art facility designed with your safety in mind. It features a Centurion air filtration system, which quickly and effectively eliminates viruses and bacteria. Additionally, the facility is thoroughly cleaned before each seminar, and face masks and hand sanitizer will be available.

COVID-19 POLICY FOR LIVE-ON-SITE ATTENDANCE

By attending a live-on-site Virginia CLE^® seminar, you acknowledge the health risks associated with COVID-19 and that you MUST follow all Virginia CLE^®COVID-19 policies. You may NOT attend a live-on-site program if you have tested positive for COVID-19, if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or if you are under any self-quarantine orders per CDC guidelines.

Discounts available for Virginia CLE webcast-telephone-live seminars

Registration Deadlines:
Webcast:	10 minutes prior to seminar. If you register for a webcast the day of the seminar, your e-mail receipt will include a link to launch the seminar and download the materials.
Telephone:	Online registration ends at 11:59 p.m. the day preceding the seminar Call (800) 979-8253 to register up to one hour prior to the seminar
Live on Site:	Online registration ends at 11:59 p.m. the day preceding the seminar Walk-in registration is permitted on a space-available basis

Cancellation Policy: Cancellation/transfer requests will be honored until 5:00 p.m. the day preceding the seminar. You will, however, be charged $40 if you cancel or transfer your registration to a different seminar after the link to the materials has been e-mailed by Virginia CLE.

Full refunds or transfers are available up to two days after a webcast in the unlikely event that you experience technical difficulties.

Inclement Weather Policy and Updates.

MCLE Credit Caveat: The MCLE Board measures credits by the time you spend in attendance. If you enter a seminar late or leave it early, or both, you must reflect those adjustments accurately in the credits you report on your credit reporting form. A code will be given at the end of the seminar, which must be written on your MCLE form.

Can't Attend?
E-mail distance_ed@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program is made available as an On Demand or USB seminar.
E-mail publications@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program's seminar materials are made available for sale.

Schedule

COURSE SCHEDULE (August 25) (Eastern Time)

11:00	Practical Advice: Basic Strategies for a Bench Trial
1:00	Adjourn

Sign-in for live seminar attendees in Richmond/Innsbrook begins at 10:30 a.m.
Q&A will be handled via chat room for Webcast attendees.
Q&A will be handled via e-mail for telephone seminar attendees.

Faculty

FACULTY

Hon. Brendan U. Dunning, Halifax Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court / Halifax
Todd M. Shockley, Assistant Attorney General / Charlottesville

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Hon. Brendan U. Dunning, Halifax Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court / Halifax

The Honorable Brendan U. Dunning is a Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge in the 10th Circuit of Virginia. Previously, he served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and Regional Drug Prosecutor in Halifax County. After prosecuting, he worked in private practice concentrating on civil litigation and criminal defense. He also served as the Commissioner of Accounts of Halifax County.

Todd M. Shockley, Assistant Attorney General / Charlottesville

Todd Shockley prosecuted his first drug distribution case as a third-year law student intern with the Campbell County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, where he successfully tried the case to a jury. Soon after that sortie, he graduated from Liberty University School of Law and began to cut his teeth—and occasionally his thumb—working with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in Halifax, where he prosecuted all species of crimes and honed the necessary skills to present drug distribution cases for the government. He worked with the Halifax team until 2017 when he joined the Fluvanna Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, where he served as an ACA focusing on cases involving child abuse, sexual assaults, domestic violence, and drug distribution. He was selected to serve as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Virginia.

After leaving the Fluvanna office, Mr. Shockley ventured into private practice to try his hand at criminal defense, family law, and sundry civil matters. His time as an ACA gave him a keen eye for spotting and raising constitutional and procedural issues while also maintaining amicable relations with the prosecution teams throughout the courts he served in central Virginia.

While he enjoyed the thrills of private practice, Mr. Shockley and his wife decided it was time to head home and relocated to Charlottesville where he took a position with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office in 2022. There he is tasked with litigating civil rights violations across the Commonwealth with a focus on enforcing fair housing laws and the newly enacted police misconduct statute.