Page 12 - October2019_BarJournal

SECTION SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT ON: CRIMINAL LAW SECTION

WE NEED THE CRIMINAL LAW SECTION

NOW MORE THAN EVER

Ashley Jones & Marisa Darden

ail reform. Shifts in sentencing the state of the Opioid Crisis, and create share their wisdom, knowledge, and war
policies. The state of the a dialogue amongst practitioners on what stories with the next generation of criminal
Cuyahoga County Jail. might be the next frontier of criminal practitioners. We also want to hear from
Prioritizing diversity in the prosecutions and trends. The Section has you! Please reach out and tell us what
B criminal bar. Technological moved away from providing practical you want to see the Criminal Law section
advances in discovery. These are only a advice and tutorial guidance. We want to prioritize this year.
few of the pressing and urgent issues facing provide opportunities for criminal lawyers Now, more than ever, the Criminal bar is
criminal practitioners as we enter a new to brush up on new areas of law and practice facing a host of transformational issues. Every
decade. The CMBA Criminal Law section new skills, such as providing immigration stakeholder — prosecutors, defense attorneys,
is uniquely positioned to bring criminal law updates, creating a forum to practice federal, state, county and local practitioners,
practitioners from all sides together to suppression hearing tactics and techniques, seasons veterans and fresh-faced attorneys —
address these issues and affect real change and discussing federal CJA panel concerns. absolutely MUST come together to engage
in our community. As our community continues to debate the each other, provide information and guidance
To that end, we are excited to chair future of the County Justice Center, the CMBA on issues, and learn from one another. Many
the Criminal Law Section under CMBA Criminal Law section is well-positioned to of us chose to practice criminal law to help
President Ian Friedman’s leadership, and provide significant and necessary input on the people, and to transform our communities.
look forward to re-engaging the bar. Please considerations leaders should be prioritizing. We cannot do this alone. We are stronger
consider joining, or re-joining, the section We believe that stakeholders cannot discuss together. Also, criminal lawyers are fun! We
and help us create a robust group of diverse an overhaul of the physical building without hope you will join us.
criminal practitioners. We have two goals in also addressing critical ways to smartly
2019–2020: (1) increase section membership and efficiently reduce the incarceratory
and participation; and (2) plan and execute population, reform the County’s antiquated Ashley Jones is a criminal defense
a number of interesting, topical, practical, bail regulations, and create a safe space to attorney and solo practitioner in
and fun programs of interest to a wide range openly discuss how attorneys, judges, police, Cleveland. She has been a CMBA
of practitioners. and others can change the inherent racial member since 2011. She can be reached
Your Criminal Section chairs are already biases embedded in this nation’s criminal at ajones@ashleyjoneslaw.com.
hard at work! We are currently planning a kick justice structure. The Criminal Law section
off happy hour to invite section members to is brainstorming how we can meaningfully Marisa Darden is a Principal in the
network and tell us what they want to see the engage on these, and other, important issues White Collar Group at Squire Patton
section prioritize. We are also working with over the course of the year. Boggs (US) LLP. She has been a CMBA
the Young Leaders Section to plan a CLE on In addition, lawyers in our town have member since 2018. She can be reached
how practitioners can make a career shift and had some of the most interesting and at marisa.darden@gmail.com.
seamlessly move within the profession, as we sophisticated criminal cases the United
often do. This panel will provide constructive States has seen in years. We should be sharing
advice on how to, for example, move from lessons learned and positive outcomes with GET ENGAGED!
prosecution to defense (Marisa’s personal each other, and supporting practitioners For information on how to
favorite recent topic!), or tips to think about who experience real successes. We hope to join the Criminal Law Section,
running for a bench seat, or hanging your host a number of lunches, happy hours, and contact Melanie Farrell at
own shingle as a solo practitioner. forums on some of the most notorious cases (216) 539-3711 or mfarrell@
We are also partnering with the Health of the last few years, and invite practitioners clemetrobar.org.
Law section to provide some updates on from all sides and invested stakeholders to
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