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 887: 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. The overarching goals of these reforms is to advance justice, fairness and equity for people charged with crimes and challenge structural racism. In past semesters, 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 participate in an effort to create a fully funded statewide public defense system in Illinois' as the current public defense "system" is underfunded, overburdened and violates indigent defendants' Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel. Illinois is one of only eight states without a statewide public defense system. Students will collaborate with a wide range of advocates, public defenders, community groups and others impacted by the current public defense "system" to pass legislation which would bring Illinois into compliance with the Sixth Amendment. Students will engage with elected state officials and other stakeholders, testify at subject matter hearings, research best practices and other state systems, and collect and analyze data. In addition, students will develop advocacy strategies, draft reports and devise communication strategies and a wide range of materials directed at the various impacted parties as well as the decision makers.
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