NJIT Co-Hosts 2021 Forensic Science Summit for the Criminal Defense Bar

This March 23-25, New Jersey Institute of Technology is set to join the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (ACDL-NJ) and New Jersey State Office of the Public Defender (NJOPD) in co-hosting the 2021 Forensic Science Summit for the Criminal Defense Bar — the leading annual forensic science conference for New Jersey’s defense attorneys and investigators.

The three-day virtual event, via Zoom, promises a unique venue for exploring the rapidly evolving world of forensic science that is shaping criminal defense proceedings in courtrooms today.

“Both prosecutors and defense attorneys are seeing significantly more science in their cases now, as well as a ready acceptance by courts of science that is sometimes inappropriate or too new,” said Jennifer Sellitti, NJOPD director of training and communications. “This conference is looking at forensic science from the side of defense attorneys to help them understand not only what it can do for them in their cases, but also ways they can challenge it when appropriate. … As attorneys, we have to start learning more about the science and that’s what this summit is all about.”

The conference is the first to be co-hosted by NJIT, which has emerged as an educational center for the state’s professional forensic community since launching New Jersey’s first undergraduate degree program in forensic science.

"This is a significant event in the New Jersey forensic science community as most training is only offered to forensic scientists … defense attorneys more than ever need training and continuing education in the forensic sciences to serve as effective assistance of counsel for their clients,” said NJIT’s Forensic Science Program Director, David Fisher. “NJIT's forensic science program is partnering with NJOPD and ACDL-NJ because we all share the goal of raising the bar of scientific competency among members of the criminal defense bar."

The summit is scheduled to attract world-renown special guest speakers addressing a variety of hot topics at the cross-section of forensics and law, from the latest in facial recognition systems and cyber forensics, to collection and presentation of DNA evidence, to cases involving arson and white-collar forensic accounting.

Headlining this year’s event is noted criminal defense attorney Jerome “Jerry” Buting of the Netflix documentary Making A Murderer, who will speak about his involvement in the high-profile Steven Avery case and defending clients from junk science in the courtroom.

The event will feature co-keynote speaker Itiel Dror, professor at University College London, a world-leading expert on the role of cognitive bias in today’s criminal investigations.

Along with more than 20 guest speakers, the summit will feature a two-track DNA program to educate attorneys in beginner and advanced levels of DNA technologies and concepts which are increasingly being introduced in courtrooms, such as complicated DNA mixtures and probabilistic genotyping.

This year’s summit will also be free for students.

“We want students to learn the other side of how defense lawyers evaluate forensic science,” said Sellitti. “What is exciting this year is that by having a partner like NJIT and hosting the event online, it gives us the opportunity to branch out and be even more inclusive, bringing in students and professionals from across the country and around the world.”

For registration, contact: Judith Smith at: judith.smith@opd.nj.gov 

For further details, visit: http://www.acdlnj.org