Certified Attorney Re-Certification

Requirement Overview:

Select your certification type below for a quick view of the re-certification requirements. See Statutory Authority & Required Qualifications for further details.

NON-CAPITAL RE-CERTIFICATION

To re-certify for misdemeanor and felony cases, at least 6 hours of approved CLE is required. To re-certify for juvenile cases, in addition to the 6 hours previously mentioned, 4 hours of approved CLE on representing juveniles is required, for a total of at least 10 hours of CLE.**CLE on representing juveniles can be used towards Misdemeanor/Felony re-certification.**Generally, Misdemeanor/Felony CLE do not apply towards Juvenile re-certification.

*The VIDC Initial Certification Training is NOT eligible to be used towards re-certification unless approved otherwise by the VIDC Certification Attorney.

CAPITAL RE-CERTIFICATION

Capital Trial Lead and Co-Counsel Complete at least ten (10) hours of specialized training in capital litigation. (The Annual Capital Defense Workshop, sponsored by the Virginia Bar Association, will meet the re-certification requirement).
Capital Appellate Counsel Complete two (2) hours of particularized capital appellate training.
Capital Habeas Counsel Complete six (6) hours of particularized capital habeas training.

SUNSET PROVISION:Every four (4) years, the capital certification list will expire on December 1st (first Sunset Year is 2019). During a Sunset Year, in order to remain certified, attorneys will need to submit a Sunset Application certifying the completion of the required VIDC approved continued legal education credit hours, as listed above. Additionally, attorneys must provide information regarding their continued representation of criminal defendants in capital murder cases or other serious felonies with the previous four (4) years. Sunset Application are due no later than November 1st of the Sunset Year to avoid any lapse in certification. The expiration of any attorney’s certification will not affect the attorney’s prior appointment in any pending case.

2021 Approved VIDC Re-Certification Trainings

CLE Sponsors: If you are interested in submitting a CLE course for VIDC re-certification credit approval, please contact the Certification Department at Certification@vadefenders.org.

VIDC Hosted Trainings:

VIDC 2021 Webcast Series:

Sponsor: Virginia Indigent Defense Commission
CLE Type: Live Online via Zoom
Re-certification Type: Various
Eligibility: Open to VIDC Certified Court-Appointed Attorneys and VIDC employees ONLY
Cost: Free

Registration: Details are emailed to applicable certified court-appointed attorneys. Please be sure your email is up-to-date in our Attorney Certification System (ACeS)

- - 1/21/2021 - Effectively Using Virginia’s New ex parte Expert Process (3 - 4 pm)
  - 3/24/2021 - Traffic Topic (3 - 4 pm)
  - 4/14/2021 - Specialty Dockets & Defense Representation (3 - 4 pm)
  - 4/15/2021 - Bodily Injury (2:30 - 4 pm)
  - 6/3/2021 - Assignments of Error (3 - 4 pm)
  - and more to come--check back again soon

Free & Discounted Non-VIDC Hosted Trainings:

Leroy Rountree Hassell, Sr. Indigent Criminal Defense Seminar

Date: May 7, 2021
Sponsor: Virginia State Bar/ Supreme Court of Virginia
Re-certification Type: Misdemeanor/Felony
Cost: Free
Training Information/ Registration

Perfecting and Preserving Criminal Appeals to the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the Supreme Court of Virginia

FREE Online Seminar (with Coupon Code: "VAAppeal")
Sponsor: Virginia CLE
Re-certification Type: Misdemeanor/Felony
Training Information/ Registration

Introduction to Sentencing Guidelines

Various dates & locations - check website linked below
Sponsor: Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission
Re-certification Type: Misdemeanor/Felony
Fee Waiver Application (for Court Appointed Attorneys)
Training Information/ Registration

Popular Non-VIDC Hosted Trainings:

Virginia CLE

We have partnered with Virginia CLE to offer a dedicated listing of VIDC Re-certification eligible courses offered on their website. See approved courses at VACLE.org - VIDC Re-certification Page
Re-certification Type: Various

51st Annual Criminal Law Seminar

Date: February 12, 2021
Sponsor: Virginia State Bar/ Virginia CLE
Re-certification Type: Misdemeanor/Felony
Training Information/ Registration

VACDL Spring Seminar

Date: May 14, 2021
Sponsor: Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (VACDL)
Re-certification Type: Misdemeanor/Felony
Training Information/ Registration

25th Annual Robert E. Shepherd Jr. Juvenile Law & Education Conference

Date: May 21, 2021
Sponsor: University of Richmond/ Virginia Indigent Defense Commission
Re-certification Type: Juvenile
Training Information/ Registration

VACDL Annual Meeting & Fall CLE

Date: August 26 - 27, 2021
Sponsor: Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (VACDL)
Re-certification Type: Misdemeanor/Felony
Training Information/ Registration

28th Annual Capital Defense Workshop

Date: TBD
Sponsor: Virginia Bar Association
Re-certification Type: Misdemeanor/Felony, Capital
Training Information/ Registration

Previously Approved Courses

Courses attended within the past 2 years from your last certification date can be used toward your next VIDC re-certification. Check your Virginia State Bar CLE records against our approved courses list to see if you have already attended any eligible courses.

VIDC Video Replay Library

All VIDC Webcast Series lectures are available for replay. Courses within the Video Replay Library are eligible to be used towards your VIDC re-certification credit hour requirements. However, they will NOT offer CLE credit. To access the Video Replay Library request form linked above, you will need to enter the username and password for the VIDC Attorney Resource website (NOT your Attorney Certification System (ACeS) profile username and password). The username and password for the Attorney Resource website is emailed to all certified attorneys each year using the email address you have on file with VIDC. Please check your email for this information prior to contacting the Certification Department for access details. Certification@vadefenders.org

CLE Reporting Note

VIDC is a separate entity from the Virginia State Bar and does NOT have access to attorney CLE records. Thus, an attorney MUST submit a re-certification application to the VIDC in order to re-certify.