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Motions in Limine

This program reframes criminal defense advocacy as a process-driven system, not a collection of last-minute trial skills. Drawing on years of mentorship and real-world practice, it teaches lawyers how to attack a case methodically—breaking overwhelming prosecutions into manageable parts so nothing is missed and anxiety does not dictate strategy. By rejecting the “myth of simultaneity” and focusing on order, structure, and timing, the program shows how disciplined preparation—rather than heroic cross-examination alone—wins cases long before a jury is ever seated.

 

Criminal defense lawyers who watch this program will gain concrete, repeatable strategies for using bond motions, discovery litigation, and early motion practice as offensive tools rather than procedural afterthoughts. The program explains how aggressive bond advocacy can force prosecutors to reveal their theories early, how comprehensive discovery demands expose weaknesses and inconsistencies, and how forcing the government to commit to positions creates leverage that can later unravel the case. Lawyers learn how to organize discovery, educate courts, and provoke prosecutorial scrutiny that often leads to dismissals, charge reductions, or critical admissions—sometimes years before trial.

 

The program also delivers a powerful framework for motions practice that eliminates—not merely limits—the prosecution’s case. It emphasizes starting with the statute and jury instructions, challenging distorted interpretations of criminal laws, and using creative motions—such as bills of particulars, due process notice challenges, selective prosecution claims, and pretrial jury-instruction determinations—to narrow the battlefield. By teaching lawyers how to think in systems, use checklists to reduce human error, preserve appellate issues, and maintain strategic control, this program equips criminal defense attorneys to find the cracks in even the most intimidating cases—and methodically break them apart long before trial begins.

Joseph Bugni

Joe Bugni is an attorney at Hurley Burish, focusing on trial and appellate litigation in both civil and criminal matters. In the thirteen years he spent with the Federal Defender’s Office, in Milwaukee and as supervisor in charge of the Madison office, Joe handled over 600 federal cases and over sixty appeals. He has taken many cases to trial and received acquittals in a variety of different cases, including in a closely followed large white-collar conspiracy prosecution. In addition to his extensive trial experience, he has also been successful in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit with many appellate victories and two en banc arguments. Three of his Seventh Circuit briefs have been recognized as “the best briefs” by the State Bar of Wisconsin Appellate Practice Section. Articles about those briefs and the briefs themselves can be found here for the 2022 win, the 2020 win, and the 2016 win. After law school, Joe clerked for three years for then-Chief Judge William J. Zloch of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and for two years for Judge Daniel. A. Manion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Beyond his success in the courtroom, Joe has been recognized as a leader in the law by the State Bar, which wrote this article about him.

SPECIALTY TOPICS
NACDL's Best of 2025
CLE State Accreditation
  • General 1.00
  • General CLE-HI: 1.00
  • General CLE-SD: 1.00
  • General CLE-NY: 1.20
  • General CLE-CA: 1.00
  • General CLE-IL: 1.00
  • General CLE-AK: 1.00
  • General CLE-MD: 1.00
  • General CLE-VT: 1.00
  • General CLE-MA: 1.00
  • General CLE-DC: 1.00
  • General CLE-ND: 1.00
  • General CLE-OR: 1.00
  • General CLE-WA: 1.00
  • General CLE-CT: 1.00
  • General CLE-NH: 1.00
  • General CLE-FL: 1.20
  • General CLE-VI: 1.00
  • General CLE-AZ: 1.00
CLE State Accreditation:
  • General 1.00
  • General CLE-HI: 1.00
  • General CLE-SD: 1.00
  • General CLE-NY: 1.20
  • General CLE-CA: 1.00
  • General CLE-IL: 1.00
  • General CLE-AK: 1.00
  • General CLE-MD: 1.00
  • General CLE-VT: 1.00
  • General CLE-MA: 1.00
  • General CLE-DC: 1.00
  • General CLE-ND: 1.00
  • General CLE-OR: 1.00
  • General CLE-WA: 1.00
  • General CLE-CT: 1.00
  • General CLE-NH: 1.00
  • General CLE-FL: 1.20
  • General CLE-VI: 1.00
  • General CLE-AZ: 1.00