Start Date: 5/8/2025 4:00 PM PDT
End Date: 5/8/2025 5:15 PM PDT
Venue Name: Union Square Building: University Square Boardroom
Location:
600 University Street
Seattle, WA United States 98101
Organization Name:
WACDL
Contact:
Pending Approval: 1.25 Credits (.75 Ethics Credits + .5 Law and Legal Credits)
CLE Description:
Calling your client to testify at their own criminal trial can be one of the most significant decisions a criminal defense lawyer makes. Consideration of the benefits and risks of testifying, and careful preparation by the lawyer and client, is critical.
This program will begin with the showing of an abridged version of “The Shooting of Big Man,” a 1979 documentary about an Assault with Intent to Kill trial in King County Superior Court. The extraordinary documentary follows public defenders, David Allen and Sarah Lytle as they prepare for trial, including testimony preparation sessions with their client; meetings with their investigator; a jury view of the hotel where the shooting takes place; and other courtroom scenes. David Allen was a founding member of WACDL and a legendary defense lawyer who passed away in August 2024. His early brilliance is on display in this fascinating and dramatic film, which culminates with a not guilty verdict.
Drawing on lessons from the film, Cooper and Mark will then present on the legal, ethical, and practical considerations of preparing to present your client’s testimony at trial. This is an in-person only event and will not be recorded.
The program will be followed by an informal happy hour nearby.
Faculty Bios:
Cooper Offenbecher has practiced criminal defense with the law firm of Allen, Hansen, Maybrown & Offenbecher since 2010. Cooper represents clients in criminal investigations and prosecutions in state and federal court, including white collar crimes, violent offenses, sex offenses, and the broad spectrum of other serious criminal matters. Cooper has successfully tried numerous jury trials and has obtained not guilty verdicts, dismissals, and other exceptional results for many clients accused of a wide range of criminal charges. Cooper also represents clients in post-conviction and appellate proceedings, and he has argued cases at every level of the Washington court system. Cooper began his practice in 2010 with The Defender Association representing indigent clients in criminal and civil commitment proceedings. Cooper graduated summa cum laude from Connecticut College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology, and received his law degree from the University of Washington.
Mark Middaugh has been practicing as a criminal defense attorney his entire legal career. He has gone to trial in dozens of cases, including charges of homicide, rape, fraud, tax evasion, and assault. Mark is also a seasoned appellate lawyer, having handled cases in the Washington Court of Appeals, the Washington Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and even the United States Supreme Court. Mark is a Chairman of the WACDL Amicus Committee, meaning that he regularly files briefs in the Washington Supreme Court advancing cutting-edge legal arguments on behalf of criminal defendants. Mark graduated from Stanford Law School and clerked on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals before starting work as a public defender. Prior to attending law school, Mark graduated summa cum laude from Duke University and worked for several years as a congressional aide in Washington DC.
