CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Attorney General Denise George welcomed representatives from the National Attorneys General Training & Research Institute (NAGTRI) to the territory during opening remarks at the Windward Passage Hotel St. Thomas on Tuesday.
The NAGTRI Faculty of trainers are in the territory holding a four-day trial advocacy training for V.I. Assistant Attorneys General. The program will consist of presentations on different aspects of trial practice, workshops and a final mock trial.
The NAGTRI team, based in Washington, D.C. is known as the Training and Research Arm of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). Their mission is to provide high-quality, non-partisan, and innovative training, research, and other developmental resources to support state and territorial attorneys general offices (AGOs).
During the brief opening remarks, AG George emphasized the importance of the work of the Department of Justice and the significance of continuous legal training.
“It’s so important for us to have constant training for our attorneys not only to maintain professional licensure, but also for professional development,” AG George said. Even for the greatest and experienced attorneys, training assists us in sharpening our skills and that in turn, helps us do our jobs better.”
The Attorney General thanked the NAGTRI instructors for providing the in-house program and thanked the staff for embracing the “top notch” training that will provide value to the department.
The presenters, including Cynthia Mahon from the Office of the Attorney General of Connecticut and Anthony Picione, from the Office of the Attorney General of New Jersey, focused on case theories.
Participants were also engaged in group discussions and learned more about cross examinations, Ethics and Civility and Persuasive Closing Arguments.
They described the training as “timely and informative,” in honing their skills and professional development.
