From Patient to Defendant: When Clinical Care Becomes Criminal Evidence

Presented by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine and If/When/How, this program represents a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary training focused specifically on pregnancy loss cases at the intersection of medicine and criminal prosecution. As medical documentation and clinical judgment increasingly appear in criminal proceedings, legal and medical professionals must understand how their work intersects long before a charge is filed. This two-day program brings criminal defense attorneys together with clinicians and medical students to examine how pregnancy-related cases move from chart to courtroom — and how earlier alignment across professions can help protect both patients and clients.

Participants will engage in joint plenary sessions, structured trial-skills exercises, and focused breakout discussions designed to:
•    Examine how medical records and clinical decision-making become legal evidence
•    Explore the ethical boundaries of medical testimony
•    Strengthen trial strategy in medically complex cases
•    Address evolving evidentiary and procedural challenges
•    Promote responsible documentation and patient-centered care in high-risk environments

Who Should Attend
This program is designed for professionals whose work intersects with pregnancy-related care and criminal legal exposure, including criminal defense attorneys, public defenders, OB/GYNs, prenatal care providers, emergency physicians, medical students, residents, and health advocates.

Whether approaching these issues from the perspective of patient care or client defense, participants will learn how clinical documentation and medical testimony are interpreted in criminal proceedings and how to defend cases.