Federal Bar Council presents
A Chance for a Second Chance: Resentencing Under the First Step Act
Recorded on Tuesday, October 28, 2025
0.5 non-transitional credit in Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias and 1.0 Transitional/Non-transitional credit in Areas of Professional Practice.
Congress passed the First Step Act in 2018 with the explicit goal of giving defendants an opportunity to reduce their prison sentences for extraordinary and compelling reasons, but has Congress’s vision—and the goals of prison reform advocates—been fully and adequately achieved? Come hear a panel of experts from all aspects of sentence reduction applications—including Judge Frederic Block, whose book A Second Chance: A Federal Judge Decides Who Deserves It offers an in-depth personal perspective—discuss their views of the Act and its successes and challenges.
Moderator
The Honorable John Gleeson (ret.)
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Panelists
The Honorable Frederic Block
Senior United States District Judge, EDNY
Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, P.C.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
David Patton, Esq.
Hecker Fink LLP
Coordinator
Colleen Faherty, Esq.
N.Y.S. Office of the Attorney General
Federal Bar Council Program Committee Co-Chairs
Celeste Koeleveld, Esq.
Clifford Chance US LLP
Julian S. Brod, Esq.
Shapiro Arato Bach LLP
In order to register, you must sign in to your Federal Bar Council account. If you do not have an account, you can create one using this link.
This program is free for Federal Bar Council Members and $112.50 and a 3% convenience fee for Non-Members. For more information about the benefits of membership in the Federal Bar Council, click here.
Financial Hardship Policy
The Federal Bar Council is pleased to offer a 50% discount on the cost of its CLE Programs to attorneys who are unemployed, who are employed in the public sector or who work for a not-for-profit entity and are able to establish financial hardship. The original application for this discount must be submitted to the Federal Bar Council at least two weeks prior to the CLE Program for which it applies. Please contact the Council for an application form.
If you have any questions, please contact CLE@federalbarcouncil.com.