Career Choice Series: Juvenile Justice – January 31 at 1:00 PM
Children’s law is a relatively new area of the law. It encompasses a variety of substantive areas including juvenile justice, child welfare, immigration, education and more. The legal representation of children in juvenile justice matters really began with the U.S. Supreme Court case In re Gault (1967) which for the first time recognized a child’s right to counsel in delinquency proceedings. Juvenile justice cases involve a youth who is being charged with what would be considered a crime if they were an adult. Jurisdictions vary in how they provide representation to youth, with some utilizing a public defender model while others contract outside lawyers to provide representation. Our speakers will share with you their career paths, provide invaluable insight on how to break into this area, what drew them to it, the pros and cons, and what a typical day in for a juvenile defense attorney entails.