Telling the Story: Persuasive Report Writing
June 14th, 3:15 - 4:15 p.m
Lord Baltimore Hotel, Salon E
This session will examine the various types of mitigation writing for beginners to include interview memos, social history narratives, court reports, and letters of support. Attendees will learn tips for structuring the different documents and using them as a tool to prepare compelling mitigation narratives for counsel, defense experts, or the court.
Shannon Keyes-Woodward, LCSW
Shannon Keyes Woodward, MSW, LCSW received her BA from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and her MSW from the University of Maryland. Her areas of specialization are capital mitigation development, mental health defense strategy, community networking/ outreach, and second look resentencings. Ms. Woodward was appointed to the NASAMS Executive Committee, serving in that capacity for 10 years. She has presented at several local and national conferences.
Ms. Woodward has previously held positions in the Maryland Public Defender’s Felony Trial Unit (Baltimore); Capital Trial Assistance Unit (Chicago); and the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (Alexandria). After nearly 12 years in public service, Ms. Woodward started her own private practice in 2016 for mitigation and sentencing advocacy. She is currently working throughout multiple jurisdictions with public and private counsel in the development and integration of mitigation evidence in federal and state capital, non-capital, and post-conviction cases.