To become eligible to receive assignments, an attorney must first complete a PDS-sponsored or PDS-approved training in the area(s) of practice for which they want to receive assignments.
Every rostered attorney must complete 8 hours of Commission-approved CLE courses per year. See Chapter 3 for additional CLE requirements for specialized case types.
Current PDS Sponsored Trainings
Time spent attending trainings sponsored by PDS may be compensable pursuant to Chapter 301-A. That Chapter establishes attendance and eligibility requirements that govern whether Counsel may seek and receive payment for the time they spend attending PDS sponsored trainings.
Upcoming Trainings
See Something, Say Something: Strategies for Interrupting Bias in the Criminal Legal System
Date: May 21, 2024 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Host: MCILS
Credits: 2 (H&D)
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Registration: [Register Here]
Okay Enough: the Ethical Obligation to Be Well
Date: May 24, 2024 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Host: MCILS
Credits: 1
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Registration: [Register Here]
Criminal Law Minimum Standards Training (Live Video Replay)
Date: May 29-30, 2024 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Host: PDS
Credits: 13
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Registration: [Register Here]
Introduction to Mindfulness for Lawyers
Date: June 7, 2024 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Host: PDS
Credits: 1
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Registration: [Register Here]
Pozner on Cross: The Chapter Method of Cross Examination
Date: July 19, 2024 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Host: PDS
Credits: 6
Cost: Free
Location: Talbot Hall at the University of Southern Maine, 85 Bedford St. Portland, ME 04101
Registration: [Register Here]
PDS Approved Trainings
The credits for the approved trainings listed below are approved for PDS credit, but may not be approved for credit by the Board of Overseers of the Bar.
Upcoming Trainings
Challenging the Status Quo: Mobilizing Youth Defense Teams to Uphold Youth Rights and Uproot Injustice
Date: May 29, 2024 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Host: The Gault Center and Georgetown Juvenile Justice Clinic & Initiative
Credits: 2
Cost: Free
Location: Webinar
Registration: [Register Here]
Maine Indigent Defense Center's Resource Lunch Series
Date: June 4, 2024 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Host: Maine Indigent Defense Center
Credits: 2
Location: Webinar
2024 MACDL Annual Conference
Date: June 6, 2024 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Host: The Gault Center and Georgetown Juvenile Justice Clinic & Initiative
Credits: 6
Cost: Member $200; Non-Member $300
Location: Hilton Garden Inn (5 Park Street, Freeport)
Registration: [Register Here]
Prior Trainings
Please note that the prior approved trainings have been removed from this page. That information can now be found here.