Clinic Juvenile Justice Pre-Trial, Trial, Appeal and Post-Dispositional / Post-Conviction Advocacy (733-2)
Instructors
Julie L Biehl
312/503-8576
Bluhm Legal Clinic
Office Hours: N/A
Meeting Info
Rubloff Building 801: Wed 2:35PM - 3:50PM
Overview of class
Students in this clinic section, part of the Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC), will get first-hand experience working on major juvenile and criminal legal policy reform efforts which advance justice, fairness and equity for people charged with crimes and challenge structural racism. Students will engage with elected state officials and other stakeholders, participate in coalitions, draft legislation, investigate, research, and collect data, develop advocacy strategies which promote research-based and data-informed approaches, draft reports and devise communication strategies all aimed at improving the criminal and juvenile legal system based on constitutional tenets of procedural and substantive due process, fairness, and equity. For many years, CFJC students have participated in successful efforts to: close two Illinois juvenile prisons, expand expungement rights for people with juvenile records, and shorten young people's length of incarceration, parole, and probation. This semester students will develop and advocate for a statewide public defender system which ensures every indigent defendant their Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel. Presently, Illinois' public defense "system" is underfunded, over worked and chaotic as it is one of only eight states without a statewide system.
Class Attributes
Satisfies Experiential Learning degree req
Satisfies Prof Writing degree req
Criminal Law and Procedure Practice Area
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: MSL Students are not eligible to enroll