Live webinar presented by Dr. Beata Krembuszewski
Apr. 2, 2026, 12:30pm
90 min of CLE credit anticipated
This session will present a clear, research-based understanding of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and its relevance across the lifespan of many clients in the criminal legal system. The session explores the core diagnostic features of ADHD—impulsivity, inattention, executive-function deficits, emotional regulation challenges, and difficulty with sustained effort—and examines how these neurological differences can influence behavior, decision-making, and legal outcomes.
Attorneys will learn how early behavioral patterns often associated with ADHD, such as classroom disruptions, disciplinary referrals, and school suspensions, can escalate over time without proper support. The program connects these early experiences to later involvement with the juvenile and adult criminal systems, highlighting the well-documented “school-to-prison pipeline” and the ways untreated ADHD symptoms can increase vulnerability to peer pressure, risk-taking, substance misuse, and impulsive offenses.
The presenter will provide practical guidance on evaluating a client’s ADHD history—including how to interpret school records, behavioral reports, and psychological evaluations—and will discuss the real-world effects of starting, stopping, or inconsistently taking ADHD medication. Attorneys will walk away better equipped to identify when medication changes may be relevant to competency, intent, reliability of statements, or behavioral control at critical times.
Participants will gain strategies to incorporate ADHD-related information into case theory, mitigation, plea negotiations, and sentencing advocacy. Additionally, the presenter will discuss incorporating executive functioning strategies to improve a client’s ability to attend and pay attention during court. This CLE is designed to strengthen client communication, deepen understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders, and improve representation for clients whose behavior cannot be fully understood without recognizing the impact of ADHD.
Each webinar from Feb-July 2026 will explore a topic related to neurodiversity and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Registration:
This program is part of the 2026 IDS Forensic Science Education Series. The webinars will be presented monthly and are free to attend. Use this link to register for all webinars in the series and attend any that are of interest.
Presenters:
Dr. Beata Krembuszewski received her undergraduate degree from Tiffin University. She continued on and received her doctoral degree from the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Sam Houston State University. In addition to a strong foundation in clinical psychology, Dr. Krembuszewski also received specialized training working with forensic populations and completing forensic evaluations.
She completed her predoctoral internship with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) at the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts, and she sought further forensic evaluation experience with the BOP during her forensic postdoctoral fellowship at the Commitment and Treatment Program (CTP) at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina. Dr. Krembuszewski postdoctoral fellowship at the CTP qualified her for the experience-waiver for board-certification through the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABFP), a credential she plans on seeking in the near future.