Recorded March 20, 2013
The National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) presented a webinar on the comprehensive new best practice standards for juvenile defense attorneys, released by the National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC). The standards seek to strengthen and clarify juvenile defense practice and policy, elevate the practice of juvenile law, and improve the delivery of legal services to all indigent youth. They were developed over a 5-year period under the rubric of the MacArthur Foundation’s Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network, part of its Models for Change initiative. They acknowledge the vital role that juvenile defenders must play in policy and justice system reform.
In the webinar, Tim Curry, Managing Attorney at NJDC, discussed areas where defender obligations under the standards and juvenile policy advocacy intersect, focusing on areas where defenders and advocates can work together to promote needed systemic reforms. Additionally, he discussed how the standards guide the relationship between the defender, the child client, and the child’s parents.
About the Speakder
Mr. Curry joined NJDC as the Managing Attorney in April, 2012. Prior to this position, he was the Supervising Attorney at D.C. Law Students in Court and an E. Barrett Prettyman Post-Graduate Fellow at Georgetown University Law Center. In both of those positions, he defended juveniles and adults accused of crimes in Washington, DC while also supervising the practice of third-year clinical students and teaching seminars on juvenile defense.
» Listen to the recording now: WMV