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MDefenders at Michigan Law

@mdefenders.bsky.social
131 followers 154 following 142 posts

Contributing to the world of public defender training, work, and criminal legal system reform

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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Attention public defenders: NACDL has published a very useful Omnibus Technology Discovery Checklist that provides a comprehensive set of discovery requests for criminal cases involving surveillance technology and digital evidence: www.nacdl.org/Document/Omn.... @nacdl.org @4ac.nacdl.org
nacdl.org
NACDL - Omnibus Tech Discovery List
A cross between an issue spotter and a sample discovery demand, this is an all-in-one, cover-your-bases initial discovery checklist for many of the most commonly used categories of technology that you...
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Adolescents are more susceptible to outside influences than adults. This makes them more likely to give false information & introduces reliability concerns to police evidence based on adolescent interrogation. Our model motion outlines the arguments: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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Reposted by MDefenders at Michigan Law
Eve Brensike Primus @primuseve.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Attn: @umichlaw.bsky.social and @mdefenders.bsky.social is hiring a Clinical Assistant Professor of Law/Associate Director for the new MDefenders Center for Public Defense. Job posting here: careers.umich.edu/job_detail/2.... Come work w/me to train the next generation of public defenders!
careers.umich.edu
Clinical Assistant Professor of Law and Associate Director MDefenders Center for Public Defense | U-M Careers
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Amazing lunchtime panel @umichlaw.bsky.social today on different kinds of indigent defense with speakers talking about trial-level adult defense, juvenile defense, family defense, appellate defense, postconviction defense, federal defense, and special litigation.
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
DNA statistics may confuse your jury. “Likelihood ratio” evidence — the statistical frequency of a suspect’s characteristic — has not been sufficiently validated and is misleading to the jury because the jury conflates it with probability of guilt. datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
We had an amazing week with trainings for our aspiring public defenders on how to approach public defender interviewing (the general questions and the fun hypotheticals that public defender offices throw at you). Wishing everyone luck in their public defender interviews.
static.klipy.com
Katniss Everdeen Good Luck Three Finger Salute
ALT: Katniss Everdeen Good Luck Three Finger Salute
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Does the existence of drugs = presence of firearms? Can you infer intent to distribute from a large quantity of drugs? Social science answers in the negative. This model motion, based on the FRE, argues for exclusion of such testimony by police officers: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The Public Defender Training Institute @umichlaw.bsky.social is a year-long immersion into public defender training that began this past weekend with an intensive Retreat filled with trainings, simulations, & fun (including karaoke). Here's to a great year! michigan.law.umich.edu/public-defen...
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
An incredible Public Defender Training Institute Retreat this weekend preparing students for careers in indigent defense. Thanks to amazing cofacilitators Rick Barinbaum Saeeda Joseph-Charles Blase Kearney & Anna Yaldo for your time wisdom & thoughtful feedback michigan.law.umich.edu/public-defen...
michigan.law.umich.edu
Public Defender Training Institute | University of Michigan Law School
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
What an incredible turnout at the @umichlaw.bsky.social MDefenders kickoff event last night. Thanks to Ashley Munger, Glen Oh, Jackie Pilcowitz, & Jonathan Roberts from NDS Detroit for coming to Ann Arbor and talking with us about what it is like to be a public defender and why they do this work.
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
A great 1st fall MDefenders mtg! 1Ls, 2Ls & 3Ls assembled to hear 2L & 3L MDefenders share highs & lows from their summer experiences, why they care so deeply about this work, plus inspiration from other public defenders. "It kind of felt like the Avengers!" said one student.
A classroom with wooden tables and chairs and all seats are filled
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Attention @umichlaw.bsky.social students: We hope to see many of you today at our kickoff lunch event where we debrief about our summer internships in public defender offices. Come join us!
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
A national hub for education, research, & policy engagement, the MDefenders Ctr for Public Defense will train the next generation of public defenders while strengthening indigent defense across the U.S. #LookToMichigan. Thanks to @umich.edu & @umichlaw.bsky.social for believing in us!
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
MDefenders is reading Pink Crime...Maybe you should too! In Oct we'll meet with Professor @valenabeety.bsky.social, an innocence litigator, to discuss her new book Pink Crime: Fighting the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Queer Identity. valenabeetyjd.com/books/pink-c...
valenabeetyjd.com
Pink Crime | Valena Beety
Pink Crime by Valena Beety examines wrongful convictions, queer criminalization, pregnancy prosecutions, and how the legal system punishes identity itself.
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
As we head into classes @umichlaw.bsky.social, MDefenders is excited to announce its fall calendar of events: docs.google.com/document/d/1... For more information about MDefenders: michigan.law.umich.edu/mdefenders MLaw 1Ls: Interested in joining our listserv? Email us at mdefendersboard@umich.edu!
docs.google.com
MDefenders: Full Calendar of Events
Fall Calendar of Events Writing Cover Letters and Resumes for Public Defender Jobs Date: Sunday, August 2, 2026 Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Location: Zoom (link available in email to MDefenders listserv) ...
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Junk science has no place in the courtroom. This motion seeks to exclude testimony and evidence from the unreliable field of bloodstain analysis, focusing on the lack of enforced industry standards & high error rates. datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
We can't believe summer is almost over. Before classes start, we wanted to share one final video profiling one of our wonderful MDefenders graduates: Elias Graca. Hear Elias talk about his work in the Juvenile Justice Clinic @umichlaw.bsky.social and why he is drawn to public defense:
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
State's witness won't get out of your hair? This brief details research demonstrating that hair microscopy evidence does not meet the standards of reliable scientific evidence, as well as research showing how persuasive forensic testimony is to juries. datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Meet Allie Berdon. Allie is an aspiring public defender @umichlaw.bsky.social from New York. To hear more about Allie's journey, check out this video:
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
No one is immune to bias, not even professional expert witnesses. And in the forensic space, contextual bias can creep into testimony, seriously prejudicing our clients. This motion seeks to preclude one such biased expert. datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Meet AG McGee. AG is an aspiring public defender @umichlaw.bsky.social who is from Kentucky. AG is spending this summer in Georgia working on post-conviction defense for people on death row. To hear more about AG's journey, check out this video:
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Jurors aren't used to crime scene photos, and gratuitous, gruesome evidence can lead to worse, more punitive outcomes for our clients. Use this evidentiary motion to argue that inflammatory photographs be suppressed. datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Meet Ike Start. Ike is an aspiring public defender @umichlaw.bsky.social. Ike spent the summer after his first law school year interning at the Neighborhood Defender Service in Detroit. Hear Ike talk about what motivates him to do this work & what it was like to work in Detroit.
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Myth: The severity of a sentence serves as a deterrent on crime. Fact: “General deterrence is primarily a function of the certainty of punishment, not its severity." It's all in our model motion: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Meet Alex Jarecki. Alex just graduated from @umichlaw.bsky.social and is heading to Portland, Oregon to work at the Metropolitan Public Defender Office. We'll miss you, Alex, but we know that the people of Portland are in good hands.
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
The constitutional right not to testify against yourself is fundamental. Why don't jury instructions inform jurors that the choice not to testify can arise from entirely innocent reasons? Use this motion to amend instructions in your jurisdiction: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Meet Gabriel Jimenez. Gabe just graduated from @umichlaw.bsky.social and is heading back home to Texas to work as a public defender. The MDefenders community here will miss him, but the people of Houston are so lucky to have Gabe in their corner.
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Time for Fido to get more training! Was the drug-sniffing dog alerted through their own senses, or improperly cued by a police officer? For the former, check out this motion, rooted in social science research, to combat a finding of probable cause: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Do you smell something? Police increasingly justify searches based on the smell of weed, yet only 20% of these searches discover contraband. Our model brief argues that discretionary opinions perpetuate implicit bias and result in racially biased outcomes: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Was the statement your client gave to police contaminated? Take a look that this model motion, which argues statements given after a client was fed non-public information about a crime are involuntary and must be suppressed: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Another junk science resource! Check out this amicus brief that challenges the reliability of bite mark evidence, incorporating expert insight & social science to show that bite mark evidence is both inaccurate & prejudicial. datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u... #PublicDefenderTwitter
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Estimates of your client's height based on photo and video recording may be flawed -- "photogrammetry" requires specialized expertise, and the state's witness' authority may fall short. Our model motion has the details: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Criminal reform has (somewhat) followed the expansion of legalized marijuana in the US, yet marijuana testing is routinely used as a condition of release. Make it make sense! Check out this motion arguing for discretion in imposing this condition: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
This amicus brief written by 5 gender justice orgs argues that juries should be permitted to consider the accused's prior experiences of gender based violence. Like other #D4D resources, this brief incorporates social science. datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Show, don't tell: this brief provides a basis to request that your jury watch a video on implicit bias prior to deliberation. The video features a civil rights attorney, a Federal Judge, and a U.S. Attorney. datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Meet Jacob León. Jacob is a recent @umichlaw.bsky.social MDefenders graduate who is heading to work as a public defender at the Bronx Defenders in New York. Jacob is going to be an amazing public defender. The Bronx is so lucky to have him.
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
ShotSpotter alerts are too imprecise to constitute particularized suspicion for a suspect, as recognized by courts across the country. Use this motion to argue that courts in your jurisdiction should follow suit: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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Reposted by MDefenders at Michigan Law
Colin Miller @evidenceprof.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Today's blog post: "Supreme Court of Tennessee Finds Confession by 17 Year-Old Who Was Held Incommunicado For About 7 Hous in the Middle of the Night Was Involuntary": www.evidenceprofblog.com/2026/06/supr...
evidenceprofblog.com
Supreme Court of Tennessee Finds Confession by 17 Year-Old Who Was Held Incommunicado For About 7 Hous in the Middle of the Night Was Involuntary
It's really rare that a court reverses a murder conviction based upon finding a confession to be involuntary. That makes the recent opinion of the Supreme
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Calling all juvenile defenders! Empirical evidence reflects the fact that young folks who have been exposed to trauma are far more likely to give false, unreliable, and involuntary confessions. Consider this a factor in the inquiry. For more: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Meet Nell Haney. Nell is a recent MDefenders graduate who is heading to work as a public defender at the Neighborhood Defender Service in Detroit. We are going to miss her @umichlaw.bsky.social, but we can't wait to see all of the amazing things she will do!
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Social science shows that we tend to underestimate the coercion others feel when pressured by authority. Some states already require reasonable suspicion before consent searches can occur. Use the data in this pleading to argue that yours should too: datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The #NJSupremeCourt recently recognized the scientific controversy around shaken baby syndrome. Check out this motion to argue your case #junkscience #publicdefendertwitter #D4D datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
This summer, while the MDefenders students are away doing internships in public defender offices, we thought we'd introduce you to some of our student members. This week meet recent graduate, Spoorthi Krishnaraj. Spoorthi is heading to New Orleans to work as a public defender.
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Tackling implicit bias means going beyond questions. D4D's motion on using a "perspective-switching" mental imagery jury instruction provides a way to encourage more impartial deliberations. datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
New Data for Defenders: a motion seeking to preclude use of the term “victim,” arguing that the label presupposes guilt and undermines the presumption of innocence datafordefenders.org
datafordefenders.org
Data for Defenders
Bringing Social Science into the Courtroom
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
While we are here celebrating Lila, here is a photo of her at the federal courthouse in Detroit where she recently received this year's @umichlaw.bsky.social Freeman Award for excellence in criminal law and procedure. Congratulations, Lila. We are so proud of you!
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
This summer, while the MDefenders students are away doing internships in public defender offices, we thought we'd introduce you to some of our student members. This week meet recent graduate, Lila Nazarian.
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
More and more communities are developing restorative justice alternatives to incarceration. Use this brief to support your diversion argument with social science! datafordefenders.org/wp-content/u...
datafordefenders.org
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
MDefenders Founder & Faculty Director, Professor Eve Primus @primuseve.bsky.social, is also a habeas scholar at UMichLaw and recently discussed the Andrew v. White ruling and the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) www.law360.com/articles/247...
law360.com
High Court Ruling On Sexist Prosecution Has Broad Impact - Law360
The U.S. Supreme Court's short opinion last year finding that an Oklahoma woman's capital trial was potentially marred by sexist and prejudicial evidence has been cited over 100 times since, and not j...
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MDefenders at Michigan Law @mdefenders.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
This summer, while the MDefenders students are away doing internships in public defender offices, we thought we'd introduce you to some of our student members. This week meet rising 3L Kerry Holihan.
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