The 2025 SAFE international conference is almost here. The conference starts at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time. Here is a speaker list for September 26.
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| Date: | Time |
|---|---|
| 26-September-2024 | 9:00 PDT |
| 26-September-2024 | 12:00 EDT |
| 26-September-2024 | 17:00 (5:00 pm) BST |
| 26-September-2024 | 18:00 (6:00 PM) SAST |
| 27-September-2024 | 00:00 HKT |
| 27-September-2024 | 4:00 NZST |
Speakers
9:00 – 10:00 PDT
Chris Fabricant, Esq. – Junk Science in the American Criminal Justice System
Bio –
As the Director of Strategic Ligation, Chris Fabricant leads the Innocence Project’s Strategic Litigation Department, whose attorneys develop and execute national litigation and public policy strategies to address the leading causes of wrongful conviction. Fabricant is one of the United States’s leading experts on forensic sciences and scientific litigation. He is a former longtime public defender and law professor, frequently serves as a public speaker on law reform issues, and is widely published in both legal scholarship and in mainstream media. In his new book, Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System, Fabricant examines the role that faulty scientific evidence has in continuing and strengthening an unjust and racial biased criminal legal system.
Abstract
Fabricant will discuss the case of Charles McCrory and relate Mr. McCrory’s case to the themes of his book, Junk Science, including defining “junk science”, how it gets into court, the role of case law and the media in perpetuating the myth of infallibility, the failure of Daubert to preclude the use of junk science and the new dangers of wrongful conviction associated with the rise of the artificial intelligence in forensics.
10:10 – 11:10
Amanda Blair, Esq. – AI in the legal profession and how it can be applied to working with forensic experts
Bio –
Amanda Blair is an associate in Fisher Phillips’ New York office, focusing her practice on complex employment issues. Amanda’s experience as an assistant corporate counsel in the New York City Law Department has her well equipped to handle cases involving Title VII, ADA, the First Amendment, ADEA, FMLA, Section 1983, and State and City Human Rights Laws. While there, she represented and advised New York City agencies and associated entities, in their capacity as employers for New York City’s public workforce.
Amanda’s experience includes acting as defense counsel during New York State Division of Human Rights public hearing conducting directs and crosses for multiple witnesses. She also handled all stages of discovery, drafted subpoenas, and prepared witnesses (including experts) for deposition. Additionally, she has written more than 30 dispositive motions.
Amanda has also appeared for oral argument and conferences in New York State Supreme Court, EDNY, and SDNY as well as argued over 10 dispositive motions in state court.
Amanda’s extensive volunteering includes acting as a mediator at Philadelphia Housing Court, a legal research intern at the Public Health Law Research, and a practicum at Public Health Management Corporation in Philadelphia.
11:20 – 13:20
Mike Deblis, Esq. – Testimonial evidence
Bio –
Michael is a partner in the boutique law firm of DeBlis Law where he specializes in criminal defense, personal injury, real estate, civil tax controversies, and U.S. international tax compliance. Michael graduated from Western Michigan University School of Law in 2007 and later went on to earn his Masters of Law in taxation (LL.M.) from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2012.
As a former public defender, Michael has spent nearly fifteen years cutting his teeth on some of the most serious felony cases to pass through the state courts of New Jersey.
His extensive trial experience and solid grounding in all major areas of federal taxation make him uniquely qualified to handle any white-collar case, no matter how sophisticated it might be.
When he’s not in the courtroom, you can find Michael on stage. As a professionally trained actor, Michael’s passionate about helping trial lawyers harness the power of persuasion and positive communication in the courtroom in order to connect to the jury on a human level.
Michael has written articles that have been published in leading tax journals, such as “CCH Journal of Tax Practice and Procedure,” “EA Journal,” “Global Tax Weekly,” and “ABA News Quarterly” and is a columnist for “Law360.”
Abstract
13:50 – 14:50 Dr. Frumi Barr – AI In Forensics: Friend, Tool or Trap
Bio
Dr. Frumi Rachel Barr is an entrepreneur, educator, and strategist who has spent over 25 years advising CEOs and professional teams on leadership and organizational growth. She is the Founder and Dean of Barr Business School, where she offers practical courses designed to help professionals adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.
Dr. Barr is also a Fractional Chief Scaling Officer, known for her ability to blend business strategy with cutting-edge tools like AI. Through her AI Literacy program and The Ultimate Edge for CEOs, she empowers leaders and professionals to harness artificial intelligence responsibly—boosting productivity while protecting judgment, integrity, and trust.
She is the author of A CEO’s Secret Weapon: How to Accelerate Success, with a foreword by Simon Sinek, and her newest book Raising a CEO: From Booster Chair to Boardroom explores the intersection of leadership and life lessons.
Abstract
AI is transforming every profession—and for forensic document examiners, it brings both powerful opportunities and serious risks. In this engaging session, Dr. Frumi Barr will demystify artificial intelligence, explain its implications for document forensics, and share practical, low-risk ways to start using AI as a tool—without compromising accuracy or credibility. Attendees will walk away with clear insights, simple exercises, and a balanced understanding of how to make AI a trusted partner in their work.
SAFE Conference day 2 – October 24, 2025
| Date: | Time |
|---|---|
| 24 October-2024 | 9:00 PDT |
| 24 October-2024 | 12:00 EDT |
| 24 October-2024 | 17:00 (5:00 pm) BST |
| 24 October-2024 | 18:00 (6:00 PM) SAST |
| 25 October-2024 | 00:00 HKT |
| 25 October-2024 | 4:00 NZST |
Speakers
9:00 – 10:00 PDT
Jennifer Gardner, Esq. – Influence, Persuade and Lead
Bio
Jennifer B. Gardner, Esq. brings a dual perspective to communication training, having spent over three decades both persuading as a trial attorney and being persuaded as a judicial decision-maker. Her neuroscience-backed approach combines the psychology of influence with a heart-centered methodology, transforming how professionals connect, persuade, and lead.
Jennifer delivers transformative MCLE seminars, corporate workshops, and conference presentations that reveal the invisible dynamics separating winning communicators from the merely competent. Her practical frameworks help lawyers, leaders, and professionals build authentic influence—not through manipulation, but through genuine human connection backed by cutting-edge brain science.
Abstract
I’m really focused on how experts can be more persuasive — I’d like to discuss the neuroscience behind how we build credibility and trust with our judges/juries, pitfalls to avoid and how to create a message that sticks, that’s memorable, so that they optimize the chances of success. These skills naturally also work for business development, which I assume is a topic many of them will find helpful. They need to build a rapport with potential clients as well as be able to deliver a “sticky” opinion. I will show them a little about story and metaphor as ways to make dry content memorable and more likely lead to the outcome they want.
10:10 – 11:10
Grace Rubio – Digital Forensics
Bio
Graciela “Grace” Rubio started Rubio Digital Forensics, LLC in December 2018, after having worked at another computer forensic firm for nearly nine years.
After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Ms. Rubio began her career in January 2010 as a Computer Forensic Investigator. In addition to over twenty-one years of experience in operating systems and application support, networking and hardware support, and systems programming, Ms. Rubio’s in-depth knowledge of computer systems, electronic data, quality control systems, and reverse engineering has provided the strong foundation needed for a career in digital forensics.
Ms. Rubio has assisted clients in retrieving and analyzing electronic evidence in cases involving Theft of Intellectual Property, Theft of Trade Secrets, Breach of Contract, Hidden Assets, Child Custody, Electronic Tracking, Securities and Exchange Commission Investigations, Department of Justice Antitrust Investigations, Investigations on behalf of Bankruptcy Trustees, Spoliation and Destruction of Evidence, and the Use of Social Media to Promote Cyberbullying, Harassment, and Defamation, and other legal matters. As an expert witness, Ms. Rubio has testified in both civil and criminal matters within the United States Bankruptcy Court, the United States District Court, the Superior Court of Washington, and multiple district courts within the State of Texas.
Ms. Rubio is a member of the Digital and Multimedia Sciences Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), the Region 1 Director of the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI), and the National President of the Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA).
Abstract
11:20 – 12:20
Dave Zweig
Bio
Dave is president of Zarbeco. Zarbeco manufactures the MiScope microscopes and the VideoToolbox software.
Abstract
Show how different light sources and different angles can change the quality of the images you see; which helps to pick the best light based on the sample
1:00 – 2:00
Mike Wakshull – Application of AI to forensic document examination
Bio
Mike Wakshull is vice president of SAFE. He is a court-qualified forensic document examiner located in Temecula, CA. He has been qualified as an expert witness in Superior Courts of California, Utah and Nevada, and Federal District Court, testifying in cases involving will contests, contract disputes and others. He applies his science education and training to partner with legal clients to dissect evidence presented in handwritten and computer-generated questioned documents. Mike earned a master of science degree in technology management from the University of Denver.
He earned a graduate school certificate in forensic document examination from East Tennessee State University. Communication with clients is a top priority.
He has authored two books on the topic of forensic document examination: Forensic Document Examination for Legal Professionals and The End of the Zodiac Mystery. Mike has presented at conferences such as international forensics conferences, California Lawyers Association, and California District Attorneys Association. He is vice president of Scientific Association of Forensic Examiners and is a member of the National Speaker’s Association.
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is pervasive in out world. Mike has experimented with ChatGPT to learn how it responds to a request to perform an examination of documents. Some of the results are positive, yet some are clearly incorrect.
Mike demonstrates examples of his research. You decide whether you want to use AI to assist with your work.
2:10 – 3:10
Member case work –
Members discuss cases on which they have worked in which they have learned lessons that are important to share with other members. This is not for passing judgment on each other. It is an opportunity to learn from each other.