Essentials of Federal Sentencing, with Lessons from the Manafort Case (Online Seminar)

Sentencing mitigation is a critical part of federal criminal practice. In this course, Paul Manafort’s two sentencing hearings are used as a vehicle to understanding the United States Sentencing Guidelines, discussing variances, and preparing sentencing memoranda — often the most important pleading submitted in a federal case.

Essentials of Federal Sentencing, with Lessons from the Manafort Case covers the actual sentencing argument before the court, the client’s allocution, as well as sentencing reductions for substance assistance through United States Sentencing Guideline § 5K1.1 (at the time of sentencing) and Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 35 (after sentencing). It also covers crucial, and often overlooked, sentencing-related forfeiture and restitution issues. Finally, it explores the critical difference between charge-based sentencing under Virginia guidelines and conduct-based sentencing under the federal guidelines.

Jeffrey Zimmerman and Joseph King presented this course, which is available online at Virginia CLE.