CAFL Trial Panel Certification Training - Mock Hearings
2026-04-28 08:45 - 17:00, 2026-04-29 08:45 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Full Schedule:

Wednesday, March 11, 2:00-4:00 orientation
Monday, March 16, 9:30-4:30 – in person
Thursday, March 19, 1:00-4:30 – zoom
Monday, March 23, 9:30-4:30 – in person
Thursday, March 26, 1:00-4:30 – zoom
Monday, March 30, 9:30-4:30 – in person
Thursday, April 2, 1:00-4:30 – zoom
Monday, April 6, 9:30-4:30 – in person
Monday, April 13, 9:30-4:30 – in person

April 28, 29, & 30, 8:45-5:00 – mock hearings in person

CPCS NLT/Zealous Advocacy Certification
2026-04-28 09:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-29 09:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-30 09:30 - 17:00, 2026-05-07 09:30 - 17:00, 2026-05-08 09:30 - 17:00, 2026-05-12 09:30 - 17:00, 2026-05-13 09:30 - 17:00, 2026-05-15 09:30 - 17:00
Certification Training for Bar Advocates and New CPCS PDD and YAD Staff Attorneys
By Application Only
CPCS Bar Advocate Training Application updated 9.2023
The Zealous Advocacy Training Program involves two in-person training days per week (9:30 am to 4:30 pm) for a total of 8 in-person training days over 4-5 weeks.
In addition to the in-person sessions, each week you will complete work using our online learning platform, to prepare for the upcoming weeks’ live session skills exercises. The self-directed learning on Talent LMS will include watching recorded lectures and other videos, reading articles and cases, and completing written assignments. Some of this work must be completed before the training begins; the rest must be done between the live sessions. You should expect 8-10 hours of this self-directed work per week, in addition to the live sessions. The live sessions include discussions and small group skills exercises that you prepare for in advance. The prep time for the skills based exercises is 2-3 hours per week.
Training dates:
Thursday, April 23, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Welcome and Intro day (on Zoom)
April 24-27 (Pre work on your own on Talent LMS (online learning management system)
Live sessions: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (Boston, Worcester)
April 28, 29, 30, 2026 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
May 7, 8, 2026 (Thursday, Friday)
May 12, 13,15, 2026 (Tue, Wed, Friday)

CAFL Trial Panel Certification Training - Mock Hearing
2026-04-30 08:45 - 17:00

APRIL MHLD RED (Race, Equity and Diversity) Talk
2026-04-30 12:00 - 13:00
APRIL MHLD RED (Race, Equity and Diversity) Talk
Virtual Event
April 30, 2026 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Drop-in Lunch & Learn to build on other recent race trainings and support you in your MHLD practice!
THIS PROGRAM QUALIFIES FOR 1 CLE ON THE MHLD TRIAL & APPEALS PANEL
Bring your lunch and come join your colleagues on MHLD staff and panel to talk informally and brainstorm about raising race in our cases. Do you believe that your client’s mental health treatment, admission to a facility or petition for commitment/guardianship is being impacted by racial bias?
This is also a chance to case crunch your cases with your colleagues over lunch!
Come join us!
Please use this link to register in advance.

MHLD Racial Bias/Cultural Competence Group
2026-05-01 13:00 - 14:00
May 1, 2026 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Join us on the first Friday of every month for the MHLD Racial Bias/Cultural Competence Group.
We are MHLD practitioners of all stripes. We meet to further our goal of identifying bias and increasing our resources to address bias in all facets of our practice, whether in apprehension by police, in hospitals and treatment, or bias in court.
There are no CLEs for this event.
Register at this link.

Get Schooled with EdLaw
2026-05-04 15:00 - 16:30
The next session of Get Schooled with EdLaw will be on Monday, May 4th from 3 – 4:30pm. This session, “Using Neuropsych Reports to Advance Educational Rights for Court-Involved Youth” will provide an overview of neuropsychological evaluations by Jill Pineda PhD.
Clinical Psychologist from Achieve New England. We will then discuss when and how to obtain and use these evaluations in your education advocacy. Register for this and upcoming sessions here.

Cultivating Self- Advocacy
2026-05-05 02:30 - 16:30
Register Here
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Creative Briefing
2026-05-06 08:00 - 14:00, 2026-05-27 08:00 - 14:00
More info to come.

POSTPONED: Evidence Series- Defense Strategies for Managing Body Worn Camera Evidence
2026-05-06 14:00 - 15:00
THIS WEBINAR HAS BEEN POSTPONED – NEW DATE TBD
You received body camera footage in discovery, and the Commonwealth wants to put it in. Surely it comes in because it captures what happened??? At this webinar, learn about ways to get body camera footage excluded when it hurts your theory of defense and admitted when it helps your theory of defense.

CLE Credits
Criminal Defense Trials: 1
Post Conviction: 1

K9 Issues in Criminal Cases
2026-05-11 14:00 - 15:00
Register Here

CAFL Racial Justice Drop-In
2026-05-12 13:00 - 14:30
Come to May’s Racial Justice Drop-In, the final installment of this series. Centering our client’s voices and power sharing with clients is at the crux of providing anti-racist zealous representation. This session will bring a peer partner expert and peer support specialist expert along with attorneys from the CAFL Training Unit and Immigration Impact Unit, to discuss best practice and tips when working with clients with various identities.

MHLD - RC - Discover Discovery
2026-05-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
In contested guardianship hearings, discovery tools—specifically interrogatories, production of documents, and admissions—are used to formally exchange information, lock in testimony, and establish evidence regarding the client’s needs and the proposed guardian’s suitability. Because contested guardianships proceed similar to civil litigation, these methods are crucial for forcing the petitioner to show that a guardianship is necessary.
After attending this training, you will be able to:

Describe what to include in interrogatories, requests for production of documents, and the often underused, but highly effective, requests for admissions.
Identify what rules apply and how to serve these forms of discovery on the opposing
side or opposing counsel.
Explore the use of depositions as a litigation tool, including understanding the rule and process for scheduling and conducting depositions.
Learn strategies to obtain facts, identify witnesses, and understand the opposing party’s position regarding the alleged incapacitated person’s (Respondent) needs.

Please register in advance here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Presented by Regional Coordinators: Debra Dow, Esq.(Essex), Alex Flig, Esq.(Norfolk), and Deborah Hill Stevens, Esq.(Berkshire/Hampden)
2 Credits available for MHLD Panel Members by attending 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Panel members of Essex, Norfolk, Berkshire, and Hampden county can stay on from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM for an additional CLE Credit

YAD - Y.O. Summit
2026-05-14 11:00 - 15:00
Y.O. Summit
May 14, 2026
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
120 Front Street, 3rd Floor, Worcester MA
Join us to talk about guns, child witnesses, GPS, and more!
Hybrid in-person and remote through Zoom.
Register here

After the 72: Leveraging Foster Care Reviews to Advance Your Case
2026-05-14 13:00 - 14:30
Have you questioned whether you really need to attend that foster care review? Is it really worth making the time in your busy schedule? The answer to both is YES! Foster care reviews are key opportunities to advocate for your client, build on your theory of the case, and, perhaps most importantly, provide your client a voice at the table in case planning. They can also be an important time to learn what is going on with your child client, because we all know child’s counsel is the last to know everything. In this training, participants will learn the mechanics of foster care reviews, how to effectively prepare yourself and your client, and how decisions made at the review affect the trajectory of the case. Participants will also learn how to actively advocate for clients before, during, and after the review and use information from reviews in hearings and trial preparation. The training will take place on Zoom on May 14, 2026, 1:00-2:30pm. Approved for 1.5 CAFL CLEs.

SLL: Ethical Duties When Using Generative AI & Other Technologies
2026-05-19 04:00 - 18:00
Register Here
This program is hosted by Social Law Library. Any questions or issues regarding this program should be directed there. (msaporito@socialaw.com). This event is being listed for informational purposes only. CPCS staff cannot assist with, or solve, registration issues.

MHLD - RC - AI and In-Patient Psychology & Therapy
2026-05-22 13:00 - 15:00
MHLD – RC – Bristol County Regional Coordinator, John Mitchell, and Dr. Mark Rudolph presenting:
AI and In-Patient Psychology & Therapy

By Attending This Training, You Will be Able To:

1. Recognize the basics about how clinicians are using AI in their inpatient and outpatient practices

2. Determine what types of AI are used by clinicians while serving our clients

3. Identify and explore problems for our clients and our cases re: clinicians’ use of AI

4. Formulate a plan to fight against AI-created data and learn how to use it to your advantage to defend against commitments and guardianship petitions.

Training is 1:00 and 3:00 PM for 2 CLEs for all MHLD attorneys.
Bristol County attorneys can earn an additional CLE by attending a regional meeting from 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM.

Register Today At This Link

MAY MHLD RED (Race, Equity and Diversity) Talk
2026-05-27 12:00 - 13:00
MAY MHLD RED (Race, Equity and Diversity) Talk
Virtual Event
May 27, 2026 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Drop-in Lunch & Learn to build on other recent race trainings and support you in your MHLD practice!
THIS PROGRAM QUALIFIES FOR 1 CLE ON THE MHLD TRIAL & APPEALS PANEL
Bring your lunch and come join your colleagues on MHLD staff and panel to talk informally and brainstorm about raising race in our cases. Do you believe that your client’s mental health treatment, admission to a facility or petition for commitment/guardianship is being impacted by racial bias?
This is also a chance to case crunch your cases with your colleagues over lunch!
Come join us!
Please use the link below to register in advance.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/v5ifNc-XTtyDEIyJID98wA

Evidence Series- Trial Tactics for 911-Based Prosecutions
2026-05-27 14:00 - 15:00
When the Commonwealth moves for trial on nothing but a 911 call, your strategy matters. This one‑hour session breaks down how to attack excited‑utterance expose weaknesses in the recording and assert your client’s confrontation rights when no live witness appears. Perfect for attorneys looking to sharpen their trial skills and push back effectively in 911‑only prosecutions.
MCLE Credits
Criminal Defense Trials: 1
Post Conviction: 1

Understanding Youth Behavior Through a Trauma, Equity, and Resilience Lens
2026-05-28 10:00 - 16:00 | YWCA of Western MA, Springfield, MA
The Office of the Child Advocate has coordinated this full-day training opportunity for anyone who works in the juvenile court with a focus on delinquency and child requiring assistance cases. The goal is to give you the knowledge and tools you need to apply a trauma-responsive, developmentally-informed, equity-centered lens in your work. The training is free, each session is approved for 5.5 CLE for YAD and CAFL, and breakfast and lunch is included. To maximize accessibility, this training will be delivered four times in different locations:

May 28, 2026, 10:00am-4:00pm: YWCA of Western MA, Springfield, MA
June 10, 2026, 10:00am-4:00pm: UMass Dartmouth School of Law, Dartmouth, MA

YAD - Boundaries and Ethics
2026-05-28 13:00 - 15:00
Ethics and Boundaries
Hosted by Melanie Roberts
May 28, 2026
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Details TBD.
Remote Training Through Zoom
Register here

SLL: Alternative Dispositions in the District Court
2026-05-28 16:00 - 18:00
