Criminal Law Symposium

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  •  May 5, 2026
     4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Handouts for the Criminal Law Symposium

Judges, law clerks, court staff, and students: no charge (please register as a guest)

MCLE: 2 Hours

Sentencing: What Really Matters to Judges?
(4:00 pm – 4:55 pm)

  • Ilham Hosseini, Moderator (Chief, Oakland Branch, United States Attorney’s Office)
  • David Rizk, Moderator (Partner, Rizk & Shearer LLP)
  • Hon. Araceli Martínez-Olguín (U.S. District Judge, Oakland)
  • Hon. Jon S. Tigar (U.S. District Judge, Oakland)

Two of our District Court judges from Oakland will discuss various aspects of sentencing, from their
point of view. Topics include how letters of support or a defendant’s allocution affect the sentencing
decision, the effect of victim-impact statements, how the probation officer’s sentencing
recommendation affects the sentencing decision, how they consider the Sentencing Guidelines, and
what they wish they saw more of — and less of — at sentencing from practitioners.

To Cooperate or Not to Cooperate – That is the Question
(5:00 pm – 5:55 pm)

  • Rita F. Lin (U.S. District Judge, San Francisco)
  • Jeff Mitchell (Chief, Criminal Division, United States Attorney’s Office)
  • Amy Craig (Partner, Ehrlich & Craig LLP)
  • Angela Hansen (Assistant Federal Public Defender, Oakland)
  • Ed Swanson, Moderator (Partner, Swanson & McNamara LLP)

This panel will explore the complicated ethical and practical questions involved in working with
defendants who are cooperating with the government in federal criminal cases. We will look at
cooperation from the perspectives of the US Attorney’s Office, defense counsel, and the bench. The
panelists will explore the perils of cooperation for both sides, how to navigate the decision to
cooperate, the mechanics of cooperation arrangements, and the sentencing of defendants who
cooperate. The panelists will also discuss the cooperation practices of the US Attorney’s Office’s new
leadership.

Reception: Appetizers and Refreshments (6:00 pm)

Seating is limited, register early!

CLE Written Materials: Available the day before the event:

Venue:  

Address:
450 Golden Gate Avenue, 19th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94102, United States