Litigating Federal Criminal Cases

This course provides an overview of the major aspects of the pre-trial, trial/plea and sentencing phases of a federal criminal prosecution. It includes a discussion of uniquely federal aspects of these topics, such as the federal rules and practices relating to pre-trial discovery, plea negotiations, jury selection, various types of evidence, and sentencing. 

The course is presented by Alan Vinegrad, a partner at Covington & Burling LLP and a former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Mr. Vinegrad has handled numerous federal criminal proceedings from both the prosecution and defense side and has written and spoken extensively on federal criminal practice issues across the country.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the major components of federal criminal pre-trial practice, including bail, discovery, motions, plea negotiations and speedy trial
2. Analyze the primary aspects of a federal criminal trial, including jury selection, attorney arguments, accomplice testimony, eyewitness testimony, hearsay, mid-and-post trial motions, requests to charge, and jury deliberations
3. Navigate the sentencing phase, including the pre-sentence investigation, preparation of sentencing materials, the sentencing proceeding, and bail pending appeal/surrender