Juvenile Delinquency Law and Procedure and Advanced Criminal Litigation Skills (The Classes)

     
The Class – FALL

The Juvenile Justice Clinic is a 12-unit, year-long course which begins in the Fall.  The substantive portion of the class consists of two courses:  Juvenile Delinquency Law and Procedure, and Advanced Criminal Litigation Skills.  Each of these classes are 3 units, and grades are awarded in the Spring.  Students must enroll in both classes as part of the clinical course.  Students are also required to complete 6 units of clinical coursework which is awarded for hours spent working on their cases.  A central component of the course is in-class simulations where students simulate hearings in class or on video and are critiqued and assisted by their classmates and clinical faculty. 

1. Juvenile Delinquency Law and Procedure.  The Juvenile Delinquency Law and Procedure class consists of two sections with distinct purposes.  The first-semester course is 2 units, and class time is dedicated to preparing students to represent their clients in court.  Topics such as ethics, interviewing children, detention, discovery and Miranda are intensively integrated into the trial advocacy component of the class. 
2. Advanced Criminal Litigation Skills.  The litigation-skills portion of the class covers all topics that a traditional trial advocacy course covers, such as opening statement, direct and cross examination, and closing argument.   However, students in the class are also instructed on how to conduct hearings for discovery, pre-trial evidentiary issues, motions to suppress, and sentencing or dispositions.  Again, the goal is to develop skill sets for the students to prepare them for their work in the latter part of the Fall, and the entire Spring semester.

The Class – SPRING

In the Spring semester the substantive courses account for 2 units and explore larger issues affecting children in the delinquency system as well further hone trial skills introduced in the Fall.  Both classes are enriched and informed by the students' experiences in the courtroom and the community.  The students are required to reflect on their experiences and lead discussion sections on issues that they have collectively encountered during the year while representing their clients.