Empowering Survivors: Techniques for Seeking Justice for Victims of Sexual Assault: 2025 Seminar | Seminar Web Catalog - Virginia Trial Lawyers Association(VTLA.com)

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Price

$270 for VA Members - Attorney
$165 for VA Members - Support Staff (paralegal, assistant)
$245 for NTL Attorney

433 minutes

Date Published

October 7, 2025

Publisher

Virginia Trial Lawyers Association

Subjects

Sexual Assault

Questions

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Summary

Representing survivors of sexual assault demands more than legal knowledge—it requires trauma-informed advocacy, strategic litigation skills, and an understanding of complex legal landscapes. This comprehensive CLE seminar is designed specifically for plaintiff attorneys and staff who want to enhance their ability to effectively and compassionately represent sexual assault survivors in civil litigation.

You will learn practical skills, legal updates, and trauma-informed strategies needed to effectively advocate for survivors of sexual assault. Gain the legal, procedural, and psychological tools necessary to competently represent survivors in these cases, from initial intake through trial, including tools for tackling common liability defenses and insurance issues.

Who Should Attend: Attorneys and staff who represent or are interested in representing survivors of sexual assault and seek to deepen their understanding of trauma-informed advocacy, legal strategy, and the interconnectedness of the criminal and civil court systems in sexual assault litigation.

NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, the first 9 minutes of Alison Martin's presentation does not have audio.

Topics At A Glance:

Vicarious Liability: Where We Are Now and How We Got Here
The Plaintiff Attorney's Intake Checklist and Case Selection
Trauma and the Brain
Reading and Understanding Insurance Policies Coverage
Crafting Effective Pleadings
Presenting the Case at Trial
Navigating the Criminal Process
Similarities and Differences: The Impact of the Defendant on Case Strategy Decisions

Recorded October 7, 2025

SWOD-26122

Expand summary

Presenters

Courtney Winston

Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen

Courtney Winston, Esq., has a decade’s worth of trial experience. She has tried dozens of cases in general district and... Read More

Lauren Byrne

MartinWren

Lauren Byrne, Esq., focuses her practice on plaintiff's personal injury litigation, wrongful death cases, and medical... Read More

Elliott M. Buckner

Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci

Elliott Buckner, Esq. represents clients in every kind of catastrophic injury claim, including traumatic brain injuries,... Read More

Sarah Sauble

Breit Biniazan

Prior to joining Breit Biniazan, Sarah worked on the defense side handling a variety of personal injury, premises liability,... Read More

Scott M. Perry

Scott Perry, Esq. has been a noted trial lawyer for over 20 years. He is proud to have obtained many of the largest verdicts... Read More

marc Peritz

Flora Pettit

Marc Peritz, Esq., maintains a varied practice in several areas of civil litigation, devoting a substantial portion of his... Read More

Barkley Horn

Blankingship & Keith

Barkley Horn, Esq., focuses primarily on Personal Injury.Prior to joining Blankingship & Keith, Barkley served as a... Read More

Peter Everett

Blankingship & Keith

Peter Everett, Esq., is a trial lawyer who devotes his practice to representing persons injured by the reckless or careless... Read More

Melissa Hague

The Joel Bieber Frim

Melissa Hague, Esq., has dedicated her career to the successful and diligent prosecution of complex mass tort cases with a... Read More

Chris O'Brien

O'Brien + Ford

Chris O’Brien has been helping personal injury victims in Western New York for more than 30 years, during which he and John... Read More

Alison Martin

Henrico Commonwealth's Attorney's Office

Alison Martin, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney III for the County of Henrico, brings enthusiasm and energy to her... Read More

Ryan T. Walker

Marks & Harrison

Ryan Walker, Esq. joined Marks & Harrison in 2014 after previously working on the defense side of personal injury cases... Read More

Stephanie E. Grana

Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci

For more than 30 years, Stephanie has fought for individuals and families in Virginia suffering from catastrophic injury and... Read More

Program Titles and Supporting Materials

This program contains the following components:

Media Files

Empowering Survivors - Video

Downloadable Files

Resource Materials - Handout

01 Vicarious Liability Buckner

02 Intake Sauble - Handout

03 Jurors Perry - Handout

04 Insurance Policies Peritz - Handout

05 Justice for Children Everett Horn - Handout

06 Brain Trauma Hague - Handout

07 Depo Techniques OBrien - Handout

08 Criminal Process Martin - Handout

09 Who the Defendant Is on Case Strategy Panel - Handout

Protecting Kids in Child Care Centers - Handout

Credit

If applicable, you may obtain credit in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously for this program (see pending/approved list below). If electing credit for this program, registrants in jurisdictions not listed below will receive a Certificate of Completion that may or may not meet credit requirements in other jurisdictions. Where applicable, credit will be only awarded to a paid registrant completing all the requirements of the program as determined by the selected accreditation authority.

How to Attend

Join the self-paced program from your office, home, or hotel room using a computer and high speed internet connection. You may start and stop the program at your convenience, continue where you left off, and review supporting materials as often as you like. Please note: Internet Explorer is no longer a supported browser. We recommend using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Safari for best results.

Technical Requirements
You may access this course on a computer or mobile device with high speed internet (iPhones require iOS 10 or higher). Recommended browsers are Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

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SeminarWeb and Virginia Trial Lawyers Association programs are non-refundable.

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Empowering Survivors: Techniques for Seeking Justice for Victims of Sexual Assault

2025 Seminar