Mental Health Disorders in Justice-Involved Clients: A Practitioner’s Perspective

What are some considerations for attorneys representing those with mental health disorders in criminal actions? This seminar will provide an overview of the Mental Health Competency Evaluation process from an attorney perspective, advice on how to work with clients during this process, and what to expect during the process. This seminar will also review the “not responsible by reason of insanity” (NRRI) defense and how best to represent clients where that defense may be a good fit.

This webinar will be available for purchase until December 5, 2025.

Subscribers have 10 days from the date of purchase to complete the webinar. After 10 days you will no longer have access to the webinar and will not be able to claim the CLE hours.

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Credit General:0.75

Tag(s) Criminal, Mental Health, Pro Bono, Public Interest

Description

Nebraska MCLE #264237. 0.75 CLE Hour. (OnDemand credit)

Todd Lancaster, Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy

Todd Lancaster was born in La Mesa, California. He graduated from the University of California, La Jolla in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He then attended the University of Nebraska, Lincoln - College of Law and graduated in 1998. He started at the Madison County Nebraska Public Defender’s Office in September of 1998 and was with the office until September of 2004. At the Public Defender’s Office, he tried numerous cases and assisted in the capital murder trial of Jose Sandoval who was involved in the U.S. Bank Murders in Norfolk in 2002. After he left the Public Defender’s Office, Lancaster entered private practice with McGough Law, based in Omaha. During his time with McGough Law he continued to practice almost exclusively in the area of criminal law in Nebraska state courts and in federal courts in Nebraska and Iowa. He started with the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy in May of 2007 and was appointed Chief Counsel in August 2023. The Commission can be appointed to represent defendants in all Nebraska counties for serious crimes of violence such as murder and sexual assault. Lancaster has tried 23 homicide cases in which the State alleged murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, or child abuse resulting in death. Two of his murder in the first-degree cases resulted in verdicts of not responsible by reason of insanity. He has been counsel in seven cases where the State has sought the death penalty. He has tried four of these cases to a jury which went through the guilt/innocence phase, the aggravating/mitigating circumstance phases, and the sentencing hearing in front of a panel of three judges. Three of the four cases resulted in his clients receiving life sentences. He has a Maine coon cat named Pedro, who is magnificent.

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If you have any questions for the presenter(s) of this webinar, please send your question via email to Allyson Felt at afelt@nebar.com. She will forward your question to the presenter(s), who will provide an answer promptly.

Active Nebraska attorneys are required to complete 10 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) each year. Two of those 10 hours must be in the field of professional responsibility (ethics). Nebraska attorneys may claim only 5 hours of distance-learning CLE per year. Webinars viewed on this portal are considered distance-learning. Under the new MCLE reporting process, the NSBA will report your attendance for this program, which will be automatically updated into your transcript. The NSBA has 30 days to report your hours to Nebraska MCLE, and your transcript may not update immediately. You are no longer able to log your own hours in your transcript; they must be reported by the sponsor.

For more information about Nebraska CLE requirements, see the MCLE Commission’s website at https://attorneys.nejudicial.gov/. For questions about CLE requirements, your own CLE transcript, or about reporting CLE credit online, contact the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Attorney Services Division at (531) 510-3641.

For questions about the OnDemand Platform or the courses therein, contact the Nebraska State Bar Association at (402) 475-7091.