Friday, April 25, 2025 | Stetson University College of Law

The Office of Clinical and Experiential Education at Stetson University College of Law is pleased to announce the conference Padilla v. Kentucky at 15 Years: Asserting the Constitutional Rights of Immigrant Defendants, to be held April 25, 2025, on the campus of the College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. 

It has been fifteen years since the Supreme Court recognized that immigrants’ constitutional rights in criminal proceedings included accurate advice regarding the immigration consequences that would result from their charges and conviction – whether by plea or after trial - so that defendants would understand the impact of those criminal proceedings on their deportability and eligibility for any discretionary relief in immigration proceedings.  Today, Padilla remains an aspirational example, but one with practical limitations, with remaining questions of the zealous attorney’s minimum role in assuring due process, (i.e., effective assistance vs. best practices), the intersection of constitutional questions and immigration law, and challenges in moving the judiciary to further expand access to justice and avenues for redressing injustice.   Padilla’s mandate also presents immense practical challenges for the criminal defense bar to be conversant in the complexities of immigrant defense, specifically the immigration consequences of crimes.

Join as expert panels reflect on the history of Padilla and the implementation of its mandate to thoroughly counsel immigrant criminal defendants in their plea and trial processes, including:

• Discussion among elected public defenders and non-governmental organizational leaders regarding structural changes, post-Padilla, and remaining institutional challenges to overcome.
• Presentation of academic papers prescriptive for improving outcomes and contemplating the vulnerabilities of fulfilling rights - direct and ancillary - recognized in Padilla.
• Practical discussion and workshop: analyzing the immigration consequences of specific crimes; in light of Padilla, determining the appropriate advice when presented with specific criminal charges against defendants in full spectrum of immigration status; best practices in mitigating risk, from the criminal and immigration perspective; properly conceiving post-conviction relief, circa 2025.
• The pragmatic impacts of current events, political changes, and federal and state legislation (including the Laken Riley Act), upon criminal-immigrant defense.

Six (6.0) Florida CLE credits sought, including portion to count toward satisfaction of legal ethics component of the Florida Continuing Legal Education Requirement (CLER).