Product Description

Understanding drug and alcohol testing is an important aspect of legal practice. Learning how to interpret results (and knowing when to consult with an expert) from these methods and analyses is vital to the success of many cases, whether in adult criminal or juvenile court, child custody or other care and protection cases, violation of probation hearings, or other legal matters involving drug or alcohol evidence. Allegations of drugs or alcohol use and misuse are not always supported by the weight of relevant scientific evidence. Weighing that evidence involves a detailed understanding of testing methods—both “screening level” and “confirmatory”—their strengths and weaknesses, and why they can provide ambiguous results. This is especially true of tests involving opiates and amphetamines. Testing for ethyl alcohol— whether in people’s breath, urine, or blood—can yield more straightforward results, but the proper extrapolation of those results involves a detailed understanding of the pharmacokinetics of ethanol and the testing methods’ shortcomings. Understanding and interpreting the results generally requires detailed laboratory reports and medical records; even such an apparently simple process as weighing suspected drug samples may not be as straightforward as it appears.

Join our experts as we look at the fields of analytical chemistry, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and statistics, and their roles in both criminal and care and protection cases. Learn how to evaluate the evidence, when to obtain and use your own experts, and practical litigation tips.

Agenda & Materials

• 2:00pm - 2:05pm

  Welcome and Introduction

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• 2:05pm - 2:30pm

  Toxicology for Lawyers: Drug & Alcohol Testing: Understanding Testing: Urine, Saliva, Blood, Sweat, and Hair

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  Dr. Laura C. Green, Ph.D, D.A.B.T., Green Toxicology LLC , Brookline
  Nathan Tamulis, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services , Boston
  
• 2:30pm - 2:45pm

  Toxicology for Lawyers: Drug & Alcohol Testing: Case Study: Opiates in Urine Do Not Always Indicate Opiate Drug Use: Or, “It’s Not Just a Seinfeld Episode”

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  Dr. Laura C. Green, Ph.D, D.A.B.T., Green Toxicology LLC , Brookline
  
• 2:45pm - 3:05pm

  Toxicology for Lawyers: Drug & Alcohol Testing: Extrapolating Results of Blood Alcohol Testing

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  Dr. Laura C. Green, Ph.D, D.A.B.T., Green Toxicology LLC , Brookline
  Dr. Edmund A.C. Crouch, Green Toxicology LLC
  
• 3:05pm - 3:25pm

  Toxicology for Lawyers: Drug & Alcohol Testing: How and Why Statistics May Matter for Your Case

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  Dr. Edmund A.C. Crouch, Green Toxicology LLC
  
• 3:35pm - 3:40pm

  Networking and Refreshment Break
• 3:40pm - 4:00pm

  Toxicology for Lawyers: Drug & Alcohol Testing: Criminal Cases: Testing for Impairment—DREs and FSTs

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  Ira L. Gant, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services , Somerville
  Nathan Tamulis, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services , Boston
  
• 4:00pm - 4:30pm

  Toxicology for Lawyers: Drug & Alcohol Testing: Care and Protection Cases: Neonatal, Meconium, and Other Tests in C&P Cases; Risks of Transmission During Breastfeeding; Investigating and Presenting Evidence of Sobriety

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  Lee A. Howard, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services , Worcester
  
• 4:30pm - 4:45pm

  Toxicology for Lawyers: Drug & Alcohol Testing: Discovery Tips: What to Ask for and How to Understand It

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  Ira L. Gant, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services , Somerville
  Nathan Tamulis, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services , Boston
  Lee A. Howard, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services , Worcester
  

Please Note

MCLE on demand programs are delivered completely online, underscoring their convenience and appeal. There are no published print materials. All written materials are available electronically only through a link included on the on demand program page.

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Faculty