You’ve got the building blocks: You’re a dogged information getter. You know how to scour public records, track down hard-to-find people, and convince them to talk to you. You’re organized and ethical. You love a challenging case, and your favorite clients are attorneys.

Does that sound like you? And if so, have you ever considered tackling criminal defense investigations? It’s a great line of work, and our bestselling course will help prepare you to market yourself and start accepting criminal defense assignments. You’ll learn about how these investigations unfold, how to get in front of attorney clients, and why this work feels so meaningful.

This course is truly multimedia: it includes a short documentary about a wrongful conviction and lots of how-to videos, articles, presentations, and more. Give it a try. We think you’ll love it.

Learning Objectives

• Understand why criminal defense investigations are important, ethical work that serves a greater good.
• Identify ways to find work as a defense investigator: Networking with attorneys, getting appointed cases, and finding private-pay work takes time and patience. Learn ideas for getting your foot in the door.
• Learn how to do this work. Get into the nitty gritty of defense work, from first steps to trials to post-conviction investigations.
• Discover what you can expect from a career as a criminal defense investigator; a little bit of everything.

Course Outline

• The Why: Real cases, including wrongful convictions and exonerations, build the foundation for why this work matters and answer the hardest question defenders face.
• Getting the Gig: Practical advice on breaking in from an attorney, an ex-cop turned investigator, an entrepreneur, and an intelligence professional. Covers networking, appointed work, and private clients.
• Doing the Work: Everything from getting hired to testifying: studying a case, working through discovery, building witness lists, conducting and recording interviews, handling reluctant witnesses, writing memos, working with defendants, assessing crime scenes, and understanding mitigation.
• Closing: A candid look at the challenges of the career and a final argument for why it’s worth it.
• Quiz 

Key features of this course include:

• Blended learning: content with pre-recorded video lectures, webinars, professionally authored reading material, podcasts, articles, and case studies
•  Quiz/assessment (unlimited attempts)
• Certificate of Completion
• Online access for 6 months from the date of purchase