This seminar is for federal and tribal prosecutors, investigators, medical and mental health providers, social workers, and child protective services workers who investigate and prosecute Indian Country fatalities, neglect, and abuse cases involving children.  This training is also applicable to individuals who investigate and prosecute child fatalities, neglect, and abuse cases on military bases and other federal enclaves.  This seminar will provide participants with knowledge and skills necessary to investigate and prosecute complex abuse cases involving children through presentations by national experts in medicine, forensic investigation, and prosecution.  The following topics will be addressed:  federal jurisdiction and mandatory reporting statutes; causes of abuse-related injuries and death; medical evidence in severe abuse and neglect; interview and interrogation; scene investigation; effective prosecution strategies; countering defense strategies; and evidence collection and documentation. This training will contain graphic videos, photographs and material that some may find disturbing. CLE will be requested.

Investigating and Prosecuting Child Fatalities and Abuse Skills Seminar; January 12-16, 2026. This meeting is being hosted by the Department of Justice’s National Indian Country Training Initiative and will be held at the National Advocacy Center (NAC) in Columbia, SC. Travel expenses, including airfare and lodging, for approved attendees, will be covered by United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Anyone interested in attending the meeting must register no later than December 8, 2025. If multiple representatives from the same tribe or organization are interested in attending the meeting, please submit a separate registration form for each individual and rank them in order of priority for acceptance. Registration for this event is limited; however, every effort will be made to accommodate all interested parties. CLE will be requested.

Registration deadline: December 8, 2025.
Applicants will receive notification of their application status by December 10, 2025.

Please do not book travel and lodging until instructions are provided by DOJ.

The Executive Office for United States Attorneys will provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Requests should be made to Deborah Thomas as early as possible, preferably at least two weeks in advance of the seminar. No nominee will be excluded from a course based on a disability-related accommodations request. This training is authorized under the Government Employees Training Act. If you have any questions regarding this training, please feel free to contact Lamesha Bowman at Lamesha.Bowman@usdoj.gov or Deborah Thomas at Deborah.Thomas@usdoj.gov or Leslie A. Hagen at Leslie.Hagen3@usdoj.gov.