Washington, D.C. — The National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute (NAGTRI), a branch of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), has established the Center for Legal Advocacy and Faculty Development (CLAFD).
The new Center will consolidate NAGTRI’s long-standing efforts to provide innovative, legal skills training to members of the attorney general community in areas such as legal writing, civil and criminal pre-trial, trial, and appellate advocacy, agency practice, and other lawyering skills.
“As the national forum for attorneys general and their staff, NAAG is committed to providing resources to support the work of the offices of attorneys general as they serve the people of their state, territory, or district,” said NAAG Executive Director Chris Toth. “In creating NAGTRI’s new Center for Legal Advocacy and Faculty Development, NAAG is emphasizing its commitment to offering the most current and innovative legal training to attorneys general and their staffs.”
Ari Telisman has been named the Center’s founding director. In leading CLAFD, he will be responsible for overseeing NAGTRI’s skills trainings, developing and enhancing skills courses, and engaging in faculty recruitment and development across NAGTRI.
Telisman, a career litigator and prosecutor who served for many years in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, most recently served as senior litigation counsel at the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois. He has extensive experience in criminal prosecution, civil litigation, and administrative proceedings, having tried nearly one hundred cases. In addition, Telisman’s significant teaching and training experience includes working as a faculty instructor and adjunct professor for several institutions including Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law, and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.
“Ari brings to NAGTRI exceptional trial and instructional experience, as well as an outstanding track record of public service to the legal community,” said Amy Tenney Curren, director of NAGTRI. “As NAGTRI continues to grow, launching CLAFD with someone of Ari’s caliber will allow us to broaden the scope of our skills and faculty development efforts so that we can further support this critical aspect of the training and development of the attorney general community.”
Telisman is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and the Florida State University College of Law, where he graduated with honors.
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