Learning Lab

Just Juries: Balancing the Scales of the Jury Box

The criminal legal system continues to facilitate pro-government juries that contradict the essential component of the Sixth Amendment--a fair cross section of the community. This presentation will model how to educate communities about the importance of jury service, the impact of diverse juries, and the power of jury nullification.

  • Engage members of their community to educate them about the importance of jury service and the power of jury nullification.
  • Learn strategic ways to challenge the demographics of their juries for purposes of strategic litigation.
  • Learn a framing of jury nullification that wards off criticisms and concerns.
  • Describe ways in which jurisdictions should be expanding the lists their jurisdictions should be using to summon jurors.

Will Snowden, n/a

Director

The Juror Project

Will is the proud son of Billy Ray and Kay Snowden who were not only Milwaukee Public School teachers, but also taught Will why speaking up and speaking out is important. Will plays the cello, loves to dance but isn't that good at it, and spends his professional time as a criminal defense lawyer, jury duty nerd, and law professor at Loyola University New Orleans, College of Law. Will started his career as a public defender in New Orleans.

Porsha Shaf'on Venable, MSW/JD

Supervising Attorney

The Bronx Defenders

Born, raised and still residing in the Bronx; Porsha-Shaf’on received her J.D. from California Western School of Law and her MSW from New York University School of Social Work. Bronx Defenders has been her professional home for most of her legal career. She has boomeranged back there four times. She initially worked at Bronx Defenders as a Forensic Social Worker in the early 2000s. During Law school, She then returned as a Law Clerk and after law school, she was a Staff Attorney in the criminal defense practice, the Adolescent Defense Project and a Team Leader. For close to three years she had the privilege of joining the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem as a staff attorney. But in October 2019, she returned to the Bronx Defenders. She is currently a supervising attorney. Porsha-Shaf'on has trained lawyers across the country on bail applications, voir dire, jury nullification, self care and showing up as your authentic self in the courtroom

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