Testimonial
[A]s a pro bono member within a Defence team at the International Criminal Court (ICC), I found the multiple day training
course on cross-examination techniques given by Michael Karnavas to be very useful. This training is highly recommended to
any lawyer who plans on examining witnesses in court. With his wealth of knowledge and experience and his no-nonsense
approach, Michael Karnavas pushes his trainees to constantly improve, think on their feet and most importantly, always be
prepared ahead of time.
Erik Cookson-MontinMay 2016 
Professional Teaching & Training Experience
Trainer, From 28-29 February 2022, conducted a three-day Advocacy Skills Training for Turkish Defense Lawyers, organized by International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) in Kilis, Turkey.
Trainer, From 25-27 February 2022, conducted a three-day Advocacy Skills Training for Turkish Defense Lawyers, organized by International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) in Gaziantep, Turkey.
Trainer, From 22-24 June 2021, took part in the African Access to Justice Women’s Network defender skills virtual training got 100 female lawyers from 10 African countries. Topics included: Rights of a defense attorney. The training was organized by International Bridges to Justice (IBJ), Geneva.
Trainer, From 18-20 June 2021, conducted a criminal defender skills training and workshop (online), training over 100 defense lawyers, from five key regions in Indonesia. Topics included: the rights and responsibilities of a legal aid attorney; examination of witnesses; and “when victims become defendants: strategies for a litigation conundrum.” The training was organized by International Bridges to Justice (IBJ), Geneva, Switzerland and hosted by LBH-APIK Jakarta, Indonesia.
Trainer, From 26-30 March 2021, conducted a defender advocacy workshop (online), training 50 defense lawyers from China and Thailand. Topics included interviewing juvenile client, reviewing a case file, and case preparation. The training was organized and hosted by Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Trainer, On 25 February 2021, conducted a training on Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) Violations and Criminality, identifying how HLP disputes become criminal matters, how lawyers protect their clients’ HLP rights in criminal cases, and how they prevent custodial punishments in HLP civil cases. The training was organized by the International Bridges to Justice (IBJ).
Trainer, On 11 February 2021, conducted a Special criminal defense skills training related to military-coup related offenses (online), sharing experience of lawyering in time of emergency. The training was organized by International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) in Myanmar.
Trainer, On 17-18 November 2020, conducted a Criminal justice training and workshop (online), training 30+ lawyers practicing in the northwestern region of Syria. Topics included how can lawyers prevent police human rights abuses and trial and case preparation. The training was organized by International Bridges to Justice (IBJ), Geneva and International Legal Assistance Consortium, Stockholm, Sweden.
Trainer, On 22 September 2020, appeared as a guest speaker at Professor David Wilkins’ class at Harvard Law School, focusing on ethics in the legal profession.
Trainer, On 13-15 September 2019, conducted a Criminal Defense Skills Training Workshop in Kandy, Sri Lanka, training 120+ defense lawyers from the central, western, southern, north, and eastern provinces. Topics included: client interviewing skills; developing the theme and theory of a case; direct examination; and cross-examination. The training was organized by International Bridges to Justice (IBJ), Geneva, Switzerland and hosted by the Bar Association of Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Trainer, On 12-13 July 2019, conducted a Criminal Defender Advocacy and Legal Skills Training Workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, training 80+ newly graduating lawyers at the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Topics included: the rights of an accused person in Cambodia; the rights, duties and responsibilities of a defense lawyer; advocacy skills (effective cross-examination, case preparation, and investigation); effective closing arguments; and defense theme and theory of the case. The training was organized by International Bridges to Justice (IBJ), Geneva, Switzerland and hosted by the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Trainer, the Legal Aid of Cambodia (LAC) course material for the program entitled “Educating on the Khmer Rouge: Legal History and Practice e-Learning and Training Program.”
Trainer, From 20-21 June 2016, Michael G. Karnavas delivered a training program on Plea Bargaining and the role of Kazakhstan Procedural Prosecutors in Astana, Kazakhstan, organized by The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Kazakhstan Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO).
Trainer, On 14 June 2016, conducted a 3 hour training on drafting submissions and motion practice, as part of the Mock Trial training organized by the ADCICTY and ICLB (International Criminal Law Bureau). Focused on the technical aspects of drafting motions, responses, replies, motions for reconsideration, motions for clarification, and interlocutory appeals, the training also covered strategic decision-making in filing submissions, ethics in drafting, due diligence and perfecting errors on the trial record for purposes of appeal.
Lecturer, On 10 June 2016, lectured at an international affairs class on atrocity crimes taught by Dr. Craig Etcheson, at Pannasastra University, Phnom Penh Cambodia. The focus was on the rights of the accused and fair trial rights in the context of representing accused on charges such as genocide and crimes against humanity, before international tribunals, and in particular the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).
Instructor, From January to April 2016, provided a research and acomprehensive analysis on the principles of reasonable doubt and in dubio pro reo toassist in their application to Macedonia’s new criminal procedure code, which is civil law based with adversarial modalities.
Trainer, On 2 and 9 March 2016, provided probono ethics training at the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,consisting of two three-hour sessions on the general obligations and responsibilities of a lawyer, with a particular focus on conflicts of interest.
Trainer, From February to March 2016, provided intensive cross-examination training for the Bosco Ntaganda Defence team at the ICC.