The 38th Annual Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Seminar
Advancing Justice, Educating Lawyers, and Fostering Excellence
Each June, the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and criminal defense lawyers from all across the State of Texas descend on San Antonio for the Rusty Ducan Advanced Criminal Law Seminar. Named in honor of W. T. “Rusty” Duncan, III, a revered criminal defense attorney and champion for the rights of the accused, the seminar has grown to become the largest and most respected annual criminal law conference in Texas. Quite simply, it is THE cornerstone advanced criminal defense seminar in Texas. The 38th Annual Rusty Duncan Seminar stands as a testament to decades of unwavering dedication to the craft of criminal law, to the memory of Rusty Duncan, and to the relentless pursuit of justice and knowledge. This year’s theme, courtesy of Immediate Past President David Guinn, was Defending Liberty, Together!
And together, we were! There were 1,100+ attendees both in person and online! I was honored to serve as one of the course directors for this year’s seminar along with Angelica Cogliano and former TCDLA past presidents, Michael Gross and David Moore. Along with the TCDLA staff, we have been planning this seminar since last summer! We had a meticulously curated agenda that covered the latest legislative and case law updates, state and federal trial practice, effective trial advocacy, evolving trends in criminal defense and prosecution, and protecting our ever-eroding Fourth Amendment guarantees in the wake of ends-justify-the-means mentalities. We were fortunate enough to get great practitioners, judges, and scholars to discuss all dimensions of criminal defense, including the incorporation of AI into the legal hemisphere. The lineup of speakers was simply stellar and included federal and Court of Criminal Appeals judges, seasoned advocates, and scholars.
It’s not just the exemplary, cutting-edge legal education that criminal defense lawyers come for, though. It’s the community and camaraderie. Criminal defense lawyers are a unique group. We are hard on ourselves. We live each of our cases incessantly, trying to figure out how to solve the sometimes-unsolvable problems. There are no hours in a day; there is only the case. We understand that we are the only thing standing between the wrath of the government and the Accused.
We believe and understand what Bryan Stevenson said: “Each of us is more than the worst thing we have ever done.”
The annual Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Seminar stands as an enduring symbol of TCDLA’s dedication to education, advocacy, and justice. I am proud to be a 20+ year actively involved contributor and member of TCDLA and privileged to have been an active part of the planning and execution of the 38th Annual Rusty Duncan. See everyone again next June for the 39th, and in the meantime, as my Dad always said, “Mess with Texas.”
There were 1,100+ attendees both in person and online!
