NCDD Sessions and Seminars
Serious Science: Advanced Course in Blood Drug Analysis and Trial Advocacy

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August 09, 2024 - August 14, 2024
The Serious Science Blood Drug Analysis course is designed to combine hard science and trial advocacy. There is no better course on forensic science and trial advocacy in America.
We start with hard science, including hands-on work in the Shimadzu Laboratory. Students will learn the basics of metrology, blood alcohol and the more complex blood drug analyses, and they will get hands-on experience preparing and analyzing their own samples. We focus on science for three full days; and then we transition to a focus on trial advocacy about the science, with reviews of the scientific concepts, and trial skills practice with the scientists from the University of Texas-Arlington. We use trial skills techniques developed by, and instructors trained at the Trial Lawyers College, with grateful acknowledgement.
We will start with a Cross Examination demonstration at 1:00pm on Friday afternoon, August 9, 2024. So plan to arrive in Arlington no later than Friday noon.
We will have a walk every morning before breakfast for those interested. The NCDD provides breakfast and lunches, as well as transfers to and from the Shimadzu Laboratory. We will have a banquet at the hotel on Friday evening, a party on Saturday evening, a review of the science and science question and answer with the UT-A science faculty on Monday evening. Students will also receive a professional lab coat for use in the laboratory, which they may keep.
All students are required to take three hours of online lab safety courses from the University of Texas-Arlington, in order to enter the laboratory. You will get certificates for those courses too.
Hotel Accommodations:
Sheraton Arlington HotelDiscounted Room Rate $149
Room Block Closes July 18, 2024.
Registration Fees:
NCDD Members: $2,650Member Deposit Only: $650
Non-Members: $2,950
Non-Member Deposit Only: $950
Science Faculty:
- Kevin A. Schug, PhD, Analytic Chemistry
- Janine Arvizu, CQA, Laboratory Quality Control, Metrology
- Post Graduate Assistants from the University of Texas-Arlington
Trial Advocacy Faculty:
- Andrew Mishlove, Course Director, NCDD Fellow
- Joseph P. St. Louis, NCDD Regent
- Kimberly Benjamin, NCDD Regent
- Francisco Duarte, NCDD Faculty
- Jonathan Dichter, NCDD Faculty
SEMINAR DAY ONE – Friday, August 9, 2024 | ||
Time (CDT) | Event Description | Guest Speaker |
1:00p.m.– 1:45p.m. | Cross Examination demonstration in a blood drug case. A preview of what we will learn. | Joseph P. St. Louis |
1:45p.m.– 3:00p.m. | Basic Metrology. How are things measured? What are calibration, traceability, and uncertainty? | Joseph P. St. Louis |
3:00p.m. – 3:15p.m. | Break | |
3:15p.m. – 4:00p.m. | Basic Chromatography and Flame Ionization Detection: Review of Blood Alcohol Measurement | |
4:00p.m. – 5:30p.m. | Review of Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection Introduction to Mass Spectrometry. Preview of Laboratory Work. How are specimens prepared for analysis? What are we going to do in the Lab in the next few days? | Andrew Mishlove |
6:30p.m. – 7:00p.m. | Registration | |
7:00p.m. – 9:00p.m. | Attendees’ Dinner. Introduction of Faculty. Storytelling and Science, How to teach mass spectrometry to a five-year old | Andrew Mishlove |
SEMINAR DAY TWO – Saturday, August 10, 2024 | ||
Time (CDT) | Event Description | Guest Speaker |
6:00a.m. | Hike for those interested | |
7:45a.m. – 8:45a.m. | Breakfast | |
9:00a.m. | Bus to the Shimadzu Lab. BE ON TIME! | |
9:15a.m. – 10:15a.m. | Metrology, Calibration curves, Chromatography, and Flame Ionization Detection | Joseph P. St. Louis, Tiffany Liden PhD, and Kevin A. Schug PhD |
10:15a.m. – 10:30a.m. | Break | |
10:30a.m. – 12:15p.m. | Key Measurement Concepts, Lab Record-Keeping, Lab Errors, Traceability, Calibration, Method Validation and Uncertainty | Janine Arvizu, CQA |
12:15p.m. – 1:15p.m. | Lunch | |
1:15p.m. – 2:15p.m. | Discovery in a Blood Alcohol and Drug Case: What You Need and How to Ask for It | Janine Arvizu, CQA a |
2:15p.m. – 3:15p.m. | Blood Analysis-Sample Preparation | Kevin A. Schug, PhD |
3:15p.m. – 3:30p.m. | Break | |
3:30p.m. – 4:45p.m. | Lab Tour | All Science Faculty |
4:45p.m. – 5:30p.m. | Question and Answer | All Science Faculty |
5:30p.m. | Bus to Hotel. BE ON TIME! |
SEMINAR DAY THREE – Sunday, August 11, 2024 | ||
Time (CDT) | Event Description | Guest Speaker |
6:30a.m. | Hike for those interested | |
7:45a.m. – 8:45a.m. | Breakfast | |
9:00a.m. | Bus to the Shimadzu Lab. BE ON TIME! | |
9:15a.m. – 10:30a.m. | Sample Preparation, Hardware demo, Mass Spectrometry, and GC-FID | |
10:30a.m. – 10:45a.m. | Coffee Break | |
10:45a.m. – 12:15p.m. | Hardware demo | |
12:15p.m. – 1:15p.m. | Lunch/Sample loading | |
1:15p.m. – 4:00p.m. | Mass Spectrometry Interpretation | |
4:00p.m. – 4:30p.m. | Coffee Break/Compile data | |
4:30p.m. – 5:00p.m. | Discussion/Compare Results | |
5:00p.m. | Bus to Hotel. BE ON TIME! |
SEMINAR DAY FOUR – Monday, August 12, 2024 | ||
Time (CDT) | Event Description | Guest Speaker |
6:00a.m. | Hike for those interested | |
8:00a.m. – 8:30a.m. | Breakfast | |
8:30a.m. – 9:00a.m. | Introduction to Focus Groups. How to Talk About Science: Finding Your Theme. Avoiding Landmines | |
9:00a.m. – 11:30a.m. | Focus Group Demonstration. Learning how to talk about science. | |
11:30a.m. – 12:00p.m. | Focus Group question and answer | |
12:00p.m. – 1:00p.m. | Lunch | |
1:00p.m. – 2:30p.m. | Discovering the Story. Lecture, Exercises, and Demonstrations | Francisco A Duarte and Kimberly Benjamin |
2:30p.m. – 2:45p.m. | Break | |
2:45p.m. – 5:30p.m. | Small Group Breakouts on Opening Statements | |
7:00p.m. – 9:00p.m. | Optional: Science Review and Trial Skills Review |
SEMINAR DAY FIVE – Tuesday, August 13, 2024 | ||
Time (CDT) | Event Description | Guest Speaker |
6:00a.m. | Hike for those interested | |
7:30a.m. – 8:15a.m. | Breakfast | |
8:15a.m. – 9:45a.m. | Cross Examination: Basic Trial Skills | Francisco Duarte and Kimberly Benjamin |
9:45a.m. – 10:00a.m. | Break | |
10:00a.m. – 12:00p.m. | Cross Examination Breakout Groups | |
12:00p.m. – 1:00p.m. | Lunch | |
1:00p.m. – 5:00p.m. | Cross Examination Breakouts Continued | |
5:00p.m. – 6:00p.m. | Dinner on your own | |
Tuesday Evening | Texas Rangers Baseball Game Live | This is included in the tuition. RSVP Required |
SEMINAR DAY SIX – Wednesday, August 14, 2024 | ||
Time (CDT) | Event Description | Guest Speaker |
6:00a.m. | Hike for those interested | |
8:00a.m. – 9:00a.m. | Breakfast | |
9:00a.m. – 10:00a.m. | Voir Dire: Lecture, Exercise and Demonstration | Andrew Mishlove, Francisco Duarte, Kimberly Benjamin, Joseph P. St. Louis, and Jonathan Dichter |
10:00a.m. – 10:15a.m. | Break | |
10:15a.m. – 12:30p.m. | Voir Dire Breakouts | |
12:30p.m. – 1:30p.m. | Lunch | |
1:30p.m. – 2:30p.m. | Review and Closing Ceremony | Andrew Mishlove |
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