Wisconsin Criminal Defense Practice for Paralegals
Agenda
Webinar instructions will be emailed 24-48 business hours before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
8:30 am – 3:30 pm CDT
Agenda:
Assisting with the Defense of Criminal Cases in Wisconsin State Courts
Presented by May Lee
- Assisting with initial client interview
- Opening the file: obtaining and organizing critical information
- Preparing representation, retainer and fee agreements
- Assisting the discovery process
- Practical investigation techniques
- Drafting and responding to discovery requests
- Working with lay and expert witnesses
- Preparing and responding to pretrial motions
- Preparing for and assisting at trial
- Preparing for sentencing
- Assisting with criminal appeals
Handling Attorney and Paralegal Ethical Issues in Criminal Defense Practice
Presented by Andrew Martinez
- Attorney and paralegal ethical rules
- Specific areas of concern for legal support staff
- Conflicts of interest
- Confidentiality
- Ex-parte communications
- Avoiding the unauthorized practice of law
- Working with clients, courts and opposing counsel
Assisting with the Defense of Federal Criminal Cases
Presented by Joel Hirschhorn
- Overview of federal criminal procedure
- Preparing and filing documents in federal court
- Assisting with discovery
- Motion practice in federal court
- Preparing for and assisting at trial
Current Issues in Criminal Law
Presented by Thomas Rhodes
- Current issues in:
- Arrest and detention
- Search and seizure
- Surveillance
- Use of force
- Use of technical and/or scientific information
- Use of electronic communications, including text messages and social media
- Other issues
Webinar Instructions
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.
Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.
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Windows 10 or higher, macOS 11 or higher, Linux, Google Chrome OS
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Google Chrome (most recent 3 versions)
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Credits
Paralegals
6.0 CLE Hours (Including 1.0 Ethics Hour)
NFPA - National Federation of Paralegal Associations
6.0 CLE Credits (Including 1.0 Ethics Credit)
Continuing Education Information
This webinar is open to the public and is designed to qualify for 6.0 CLE hours, including 1.0 ethics hour, for paralegals in Wisconsin. Paralegal certification is not required to participate in this course.
The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) has approved this course for 6.0 total CLE credits, which includes 5.0 general CLE credits and 1.0 ethics CLE credit.
Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the webinar for those who attend the entire course and score a minimum 80% on the quiz that follows the course (multiple attempts allowed).
*On-Demand Credits*
The preceding credit information only applies to the live presentation. This course in an on-demand format is not pre-approved by any licensing boards and may not qualify for the same credits; please consult your licensing board(s) to ensure that a structured, asynchronous learning format is appropriate.
Speakers
Joel Hirschhorn
Hirschhorn Law in MadisonMr. Hirschhorn is considered one of America’s most prominent criminal defense trial attorneys. He has been named to Best Lawyers in America since its first edition 38 years ago. Mr. Hirschhorn focuses his practice on the defense of white collar, criminal and civil matters. He received his B.A. degree from the University of Connecticut and his J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Law. Mr. Hirschhorn is a fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers (President 2003), a past president of the Wisconsin Bar Non-Resident Lawyer Division, a life fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation, served as a board member on the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and for three years on The State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors. He is also a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the Litigation Counsel of America. Mr. Hirschhorn is a member of the Miami-Dade County Bar Association, the First Amendment Lawyers Association (a founder and past president) and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He is admitted to The Florida Bar, The State Bar of Wisconsin, U.S. Supreme Court, and all Federal Courts of Appeal except the District of Columbia. Mr. Hirschhorn has been admitted pro hac vice to 39 U.S District Courts in addition to practicing in all Federal Courts in Wisconsin and Florida. He has also handled matters in 34 different States’ Courts. Mr. Hirschhorn has also provided advice and counsel to US and non-US citizens and lawyers in many foreign countries throughout his career.
May Lee
Founder and Managing Attorney at Lee law Firm LLC, in MilwaukeeThe mission of Lee law Firm LLC is “to speak up for and ensure justice for the individual.” Born in an abandoned barn in a third-world country as her parents fled from war and genocide, Ms. Lee’s family’s story of survival is living proof that there is justice in this world. Decades later, she would choose to use the trials of her past to be a voice of empowerment for the people she speaks up for. Ms. Lee is an educator at heart. She began her professional career as a teacher, then later working in higher education. She eventually pursued law to voice education in the arena of the legal justice system. She began law school while being a mother of five children! Attorney Lee shares this as encouragement that it is never too late to pursue your dreams. Ms. Lee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney at the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. She has handled thousands of criminal cases as well as divorce, child support, and custody matters. Ms. Lee has been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, a professional organization composed of top trial lawyers. Membership is by invitation only and is extended exclusively to trial lawyers. She is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National College for DUI Defense. She also has earned the 2020 Avvo Client’s Choice Award. Ms. Lee earned her J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Andrew Martinez
Founding partner of Martinez & Ruby, LLP, in BarabooMr. Martinez founded Martinez & Ruby, LLP, with Attorney Cole Ruby in 2008. He practices criminal defense exclusively, and specializes in defending individuals facing charges of homicide, attempted homicide, domestic abuse and sex-based crimes involving adults or children. Mr. Martinez is an accomplished trial lawyer, having tried cases throughout Wisconsin on charges at all severity levels. He also has an extensive history of negotiating dismissals short of trial, which has saved many of his clients the anxiety, risk and expense associated with trial. Together with Cole Ruby, he is a two-time recipient of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Hanson Award. Each of these awards were issued for winning a not-guilty verdict in a jury trial involving a charge of first-degree intentional homicide, the most serious crime under Wisconsin law. An Arizona native, he graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2004 with a B.A. degree in Philosophy. After college, he attended law school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was a senior managing editor of the Wisconsin Law Review. Mr. Martinez earned his J.D. degree from the UW in 2007. Mr. Martinez is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL) and has served as a speaker to educate the law community at numerous WACDL seminars. He is a native Spanish speaker and has represented Spanish-speaking clients throughout his career.
Thomas Rhodes
Zachar Law Office, LLCMr. Rhodes is an experienced criminal defense attorney who has exclusively represented people accused of crimes since graduating from Marquette University Law School in 2013, where he graduated with specialty certificates in Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. He has represented thousands of clients in cases stemming from simple traffic infractions to First Degree Intentional Homicide and regularly tries cases to judges and juries. Mr. Rhodes spent the first eleven years of his career as a trial attorney in the Sparta and La Crosse offices of the Wisconsin State Public Defender, where he developed a reputation as a skilled and compassionate advocate. He was a longtime representative of the La Crosse County Treatment Courts, and an expert on the treatment court model and how it benefits clients seeking to avoid jail or prison sentences. Mr. Rhodes is a graduate of the prestigious National Criminal Defense College Trial Advocacy program, a multi-week invitation-only course designed to train leaders in trial advocacy. He continues to specialize in protecting clients who are facing serious and complex prosecutions throughout Western Wisconsin including homicide, sexual assault, child abuse, probation and extended supervision revocations, and felony domestic violence allegations.

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