Upcoming HAT Seminars 

SAVE THE DATE: May 28-31, 2026
Atlanta, GA

The Twenty-Third National Seminar on the Development and Integration of Mitigating Evidence in Capital Cases

Program Description

This seminar has been held annually since the Supreme Court decision in Wiggins v. Smith, 539 U.S. 510 (2003), which recognized the need for thorough mitigation investigation and acknowledged the importance of the non-lawyer who had compiled the mitigation in the successful post-conviction presentation.  Twenty-three years after Wiggins, this year's seminar will focus on developmental disabilities, including Intellectual Disability, FASD, and Autism.  The sessions that explore this area will cover a range of topics practitioners routinely confront when investigating this evidence and presenting it as the basis for an Atkins claim, a guilt phase defense, and/or as mitigation.  The conference will also cover psychosis and neuroimaging as well as advancements in understanding social determinants of mental health.  In addition, the program offers presentations that focus on the practical aspects of investigating and developing mitigation, including establishing rapport with witnesses, drafting declarations, integrating DIVO into the work, abiding by ethical guidelines, and debunking harmful psychiatric labels. As always, the faculty will include university-based researchers as well as litigators, mitigation specialists, and mental health experts.  Breakout sessions will include a beginners' track on mitigation basics as well as advanced workshops on specialized problems.

 REGISTRATION WILL OPEN MID MARCH! 

Program Description

This unique and innovative program was designed by Professor Anthony G. Amsterdam, together with HAT counsel, to improve habeas advocacy by teaching participants techniques that can be used in persuasive oral and written advocacy, including the effective use of narrative tools such as the “elements” of story, theme choice, plot, setting, perspective, and sequence. This will be accomplished in a non-traditional manner by bringing together capital post-conviction attorneys, professional non-fiction, and fiction writers, and legal as well as literary academics working together in developing and conveying to participants persuasive advocacy techniques in a combined lecture, group brainstorming session and small group discussion formats.