Agenda Faculty Hotel Exhibitor/Sponsor Scholarships Pricing Register Online Register by PDF
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
NACDL’s 18th Annual Seminar, “Defending Modern Drug Cases” will be held at the Sahara Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, October 22-25, 2025.
Program Details:
Criminal drug trials are picking up once again, and you must be prepared for the fight!
To help you get ready, join NACDL in Las Vegas from October 22-25 for the 18th Annual Defending Modern Drug Cases Seminar, to learn novel techniques and practices from the nation's leading experts. You will undoubtedly enhance and improve your practice at this seminar, all while spending three days in Las Vegas with your peers in the fight for justice. This event is ideal for helping you creating a national referral network – all in all, a fantastic way to prepare for success in your next drug case.
NOTE: This Defending Modern Drug Cases Seminar is held jointly in conjunction with the "DWI Means Defend With Ingenuity" Seminar, on the same dates, at the same location. While the Drug Seminar is held in the afternoons only, the DWI seminar is held in the mornings only. If you are interested in attending both seminars, click to register for both seminars button below and receive up to a 20% discount on your total combined registration fees.
Register for both now and save 20%!
Agenda
The program agenda and faculty are subject to change.
| Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| 3:00-6:00 pm | Early Registration & Exhibits |
| Thursday, October 23, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| 11:30 am | Registration & Exhibit Hall Open |
| 1:30 pm | Welcome, Introductions, Announcements – NACDL President Andy Birrell (Minneapolis, MN), Drug Program Co-Chairs John Arrascada (Reno, NV), Carmen Roe (Houston, TX), Ian M. Wallach (Los Angeles, CA), and Tim Zerillo (Portland, ME) |
| 1:40 pm | KEYNOTE: Always Be Closing! – Shaun C. Kent (Manning, SC) |
| 2:40 pm | Pre-Trial Preparation and Organization – Katherine “Kacey” McBroom (Beverly Hills, CA) |
| 3:40 pm | Refreshment & Exhibitor Break |
| 4:00 pm | That Ain't My Coke: Pretrial Strategies to Bolster Your Theory and Destroy the State's Drug Case Before Trial – Lonnie M. Randolph (East Chicago, IN) |
| 5:00 pm | Never Backing Down: Getting Discovery – Meghan Blanco (Laguna Niguel, CA) |
| 6:00 pm | Drug Seminar Adjourns for the Day |
| 6:30 pm | Opening Reception – Sahara Las Vegas Hotel and Casino
Gold Sponsors:
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| Friday, October 24, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| 1:00 pm | Exhibit Hall Open |
| 1:00 pm | Networking/Brainstorming Session |
| 1:45 pm | Conveying Your Theme & Theory Through Storytelling – Christopher W. Adams (Charleston, SC) |
| 2:45 pm | The Impact of Firearms in Federal Drug Cases – Ramon de la Cabada (Miami, FL) |
| 3:45 pm | Refreshment & Exhibitor Break |
| 4:05 pm | What's New with RICO? – Amanda R. Clark Palmer (Atlanta, GA) |
| 5:05 pm | Balancing Scales: Ethics and Advocacy in Drug Crimes Defense State & Federal – Jeffrey S. Weiner (Miami, FL) |
| 6:05 pm | Drug Seminar Adjourns for the Day |
| 6:45 pm | Networking Meet-Up & Happy Hour: Join the speakers and your colleagues in this informal setting to discuss the day’s presentations. |
| Saturday, October 25, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| 10:00 am | Exhibit Hall Open |
| 10:00 am | Networking/Brainstorming Session |
| 11:00 am | Money Laundering and Transmitting – Diego Weiner (Miami, FL) |
| 12:00 pm | Sentencing/Mitigation – Paola Armeni (Las Vegas, NV) |
| 1:00 pm | "Write Away!" Better Legal Writing for Better Results on Motions and Appeals – Richard Willstatter (White Plains, NY) |
| 2:00 pm | Refreshment & Exhibitor Break |
| 2:15 pm | 4th Amendment Suppression Issues – E. G. "Gerry" Morris (Austin, TX) |
| 3:15 pm | Voir Dire in Drug Cases – Jennifer L. Falk (Dallas, TX) |
| 4:15 pm | Drug Seminar Adjourns Until October 21-24, 2026! |
Faculty
- Christopher W. Adams (Charleston, SC) *NACDL MEMBER
- Paola Armeni (Las Vegas, NV) *NACDL MEMBER
- Meghan Blanco (Laguna Niguel, CA)
- Ramon de la Cabada (Miami, FL) *NACDL MEMBER
- Jennifer L. Falk (Dallas, TX)
- Shaun C. Kent (Manning, SC) *NACDL MEMBER
- Katherine “Kacey” McBroom (Beverly Hills, CA) *NACDL MEMBER
- E. G. "Gerry" Morris (Austin, TX) *NACDL MEMBER
- Amanda R. Clark Palmer (Atlanta, GA) *NACDL MEMBER
- Lonnie M. Randolph, II (East Chicago, IN) *NACDL MEMBER
- Diego Weiner (Miami, FL) *NACDL MEMBER
- Jeffrey S. Weiner (Miami, FL) *NACDL MEMBER
- Richard Willstatter (White Plains, NY) *NACDL MEMBER
Hotel
Sahara Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
2535 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
All reservations within NACDL room block must be booked using the online reservations link below. Reservations over the phone are not available.
Online Reservations: https://book.passkey.com/e/50899162
Group rate: $84 + tax Wednesday & Thursday / $229 + tax Friday & Saturday (expires September 22, 2025).
Rooms/discounted group rates are not guaranteed once the block has been filled.
Sponsorship and Exhibits
Disclaimer: NACDL does not necessarily endorse or guarantee the quality, applicability, or discounts of the products and/or services of its exhibitors. Users of these products and/or services do so at their sole discretion and NACDL assumes no responsibility for them.
For information on exhibiting or sponsorships, please contact NACDL's Sales and Marketing Manager Jason Petty at jpetty@nacdl.org or call (202) 465-7637.
NACDL would like to thank the following sponsors, exhibitors, and affinity partners for their support and contributions:
PLATINUM Sponsor:
still available...
GOLD Sponsor:
still available...
SILVER Sponsor:
still available...
BRONZE Sponsor:
Welcoming Reception Sponsors:
Gold Sponsors:
Wi-Fi Sponsor:
still available...
Seminar Materials Sponsor:
still available...
Lanyards Sponsor:
Tote Bag Sponsor:
still available...
Exhibitors:
Garrett Discovery, Inc.
LegalTamer
LifeSafer
Metadata Forensics
mindr
RizeUp Media
Second Look Training and Forensic Consulting LLC
Scholarships
NACDL offers a variety of scholarships for this event ranging from partially discounted to fully funded. Each type of scholarship has different application requirements. To apply for any of the following scholarships, please follow the instructions for that specific scholarship.
OPTION 1: Needs Based Scholarships
Based on need, scholarships are available to NACDL members for up to 50% off the standard seminar fee of $419. Approved recipients are responsible for the remainder of the tuition fee, which is $210 (all other expenses are not included). The reduced scholarship fee includes seminar tuition, admission to all evening social events, and downloadable seminar materials. Travel, hotel, and other costs are not included.
To Apply: Prepare and e-mail a letter of no more than two pages explaining the reason why you believe you should receive the grant to: NACDL Senior Director of Events Akvile Athanason, at aathanason@nacdl.org.
All applications must be submitted before registering for the seminar and received by September 17, 2025.
NACDL MEMBERSHIP AND RESERVATION AT THE HOST HOTEL ARE REQUIRED TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR NEEDS-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS.
OPTION 2: Public Defense Scholarships
As a result of generous grant funding, NACDL is able to offer scholarship assistance to public defense providers to attend this NACDL training program. Scholarships will be awarded in the form of full or partial reimbursement of the registration costs of the program. Limited travel reimbursement stipends may also be awarded to qualifying individuals to help defray the costs of travel and lodging.
Completed public defense scholarship applications should be emailed to: PDTScholarship@nacdl.org
Apply for a Public Defense Scholarship
Pricing
Register Online Register by PDF
Register for both now and save 20%!
Members of NACDL enjoy exclusive registration rates for our seminars along with all the benefits from joining.
| Registration Fees | Drug Only | BOTH Drug/DUI |
|---|---|---|
| NACDL Members: Regular, Life, and Sustaining | $419 | $831 |
| NACDL Members: Public Defender, Associate, Investigator, Professor, "New Lawyer", International, and Military | $289 | $558 |
| Non-Members of NACDL: Public Defenders | $301 | $584 |
| Non-Members of NACDL: Private Practice (Includes a 1-Year Membership) | $619 | $1159 |
| Regional Affiliate Lawyers: All Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon, and Utah Lawyers (Residents Only) | $299 | $567 |
| Groups of 4 or more Public Defenders from the same office (must register at the same time; 1 payment; no changes or cancellations allowed). To register a group, please visit: http://www.nacdl.org/PDGroups | $269 | $519 |
| Non-Attendee Materials / Recordings | |
|---|---|
| Audio Recording (Pre-sale) | $225 |
| Video DVD Recording (Pre-sale) | $299 |
CANCELLATIONS: There is a $75 cancellation fee. Cancellations must be received in writing via e-mail to cancel@nacdl.org by 5:30 pm E.T. Friday, October 17, 2025, to receive a refund, less the cancellation fee. No refunds can be issued after the cancellation deadline.
Code of Conduct
NACDL endeavors to foster a working, learning, and social environment free of harassment, discrimination, intimidation, and insult. To that end, NACDL has adopted a Code of Conduct for Affiliated Persons that applies to all attendees and participants of any kind at all NACDL sponsored events.
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