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USSC

We conduct training both online and in person, travel conditions permitting, to all those connected with the federal sentencing process. Our educators are former defense attorneys, probation officers, law clerks, and professional educators with years of experience in training guideline application, sentencing procedure, and case law. There is no cost to you, and our programs qualify for Continuing Legal Education credit.

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How do I schedule training?

Arranging a training session with the Sentencing Commission’s training staff is easy. If you are a judge, probation officer, courtroom deputy, assistant federal public defender, criminal justice act panel representative, AUSA, or circuit staff attorney, click the button below to fill out a training request form, or, call us at (202) 502-4540 and tell us what you’re looking for. We will work with you to plan the agenda and to schedule the training. We ask for a minimum of two to three weeks’ lead time to scheduling a remote training session. Due to high demand, we may ask you to consolidate your session with multiple districts requesting the same topics.

Once your training session is scheduled, the assigned trainer will contact you to finalize the program. As part of the process, we may send surveys and evaluation forms to your attendees, so we will ask attendees to provide their contact information.


You can also download the printable flyer for instructions on setting up a training program.

Whom do we train?

We conduct training sessions for judges, their law clerks, courtroom deputies and district court clerks as well as probation officers, defense attorneys, and prosecutors. We will train the whole “court family” or conduct separate training sessions for each group according to your preference. We train guideline users with all levels of experience – from brand-new practitioners to people with decades of federal sentencing experience.

What kind of training do we offer?

We will work closely with you to develop an agenda customized to address your training needs. Using a robust online tool designed for virtual education, we rely on adult learning theories and interactive techniques that include real-life scenarios to ensure that our audiences come away from our training sessions with practical, ready-to-use information on federal sentencing. We take the most complex topics, such as grouping of multiple counts, crimes of violence, and concurrent/consecutive sentences, and make them easy to understand and apply in your everyday work. Our most frequently requested training topics include:
  • The Categorical Approach (determining crimes of violence)
  • Criminal History
  • Recent Case Law
  • Relevant Conduct (sentencing liability)

Is Continuing Legal Education Credit Available?

Yes! CLE credit is available for our programs.
Disclaimer
Please be advised that information provided by the Commission’s staff is offered to assist in understanding and applying the sentencing guidelines. The information does not necessarily represent the official position of the Commission, should not be considered definitive, and is not binding upon the Commission, the court, or the parties in any case.
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