Juvenile Law Commons^™

The Legal Significance Of The Psychological Ability To Appreciate The “Other”, Paul F. Rothstein

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Recently the U.S. Supreme Court, citing neurological and psychological studies, held that because juveniles are deficient in appreciating consequences to others, they should never be given the death penalty. The author found, in his years as a legal scholar, educator, and practitioner, that “appreciating the ‘other’”--putting oneself in the position of others---is critical to law and the study of law in more than the obvious ways.

The author became aware of empirical studies and psychological experiments demonstrating that children below a certain age have trouble seeing things from another’s vantage point, and found that the facility to do so develops …

What’S Wrong With Victims’ Rights In Juvenile Court?: Retributive V. Rehabilitative Systems Of Justice, Kristin N. Henning

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

While scholars have written extensively about the victims’ rights movement in capital and criminal cases, there has been very little discussion about the intersection of victims’ rights and the juvenile justice system. Statutes that allow victims to attend juvenile hearings and present oral and written impact statements have shifted the juvenile court’s priorities and altered the way judges think about young offenders. While judges were once primarily concerned with the best interests of the delinquent child, victims’ rights legislation now requires juvenile courts to balance the rehabilitative needs of the child with other competing interests such as accountability to the …

"I Ain't Takin' No Plea": The Challenges In Counseling Young People Facing Serious Time, Abbe Smith

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Criminal defendants daily entrust their liberty to the skill of their lawyers. The consequences of the lawyer’s decisions fall squarely upon the defendant. There is nothing untoward in this circumstance. To the contrary, the lawyer as the defendant’s representative is at the core of our adversary process.

As practicing lawyers know, interviewing and counseling are at the heart of legal representation. This is what lawyers do, even trial lawyers: we talk with and advise clients. As criminal lawyers know, the decision whether to go to trial is “the most important single decision” a client faces, and requires wise counsel. …

Defending And Despairing: The Agony Of Juvenile Defense, Abbe Smith

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

I believe there is no more important work than defending kids, especially those accused of serious crimes. The consequences of juvenile crime are increasingly severe, whether kids remain in the juvenile system or are prosecuted as adults. We lock up too many people in this country, many of whom are children. Surely, at the start of the twenty-first century - given our knowledge about the causes of juvenile delinquency and crime - we can do more than put troubled kids in cages. So, why not work with young offenders who are on their way to becoming adult clients, to try …

It Takes A Lawyer To Raise A Child?: Allocating Responsibilities Among Parents, Children, And Lawyers In Delinquency Cases, Kristin N. Henning

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This Article considers whether, and to what extent, children do or should look to parents for guidance in matters of juvenile delinquency. To this end, I draw insight from theories of adolescent development, rules of professional ethics, and principles of constitutional law and justice. In Part I, I identify opportunities for support and collaboration between children and parents in the juvenile justice system and then consider the potential for conflict in these families. In Part II, I propose six strategies for effective lawyering on behalf of children and parents in juvenile court. Given the complexities of the issues, I recognize …

Loyalty, Paternalism, And Rights: Client Counseling Theory And The Role Of Child's Counsel In Delinquency Cases, Kristin N. Henning

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This Article seeks to identify an attorney-child framework that will (1) give substantive meaning to the child's constitutional right to counsel in delinquency cases, (2) satisfy the ethical mandates of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, (3) have the flexibility to accommodate cognitive limitations while enhancing the decisionmaking capacity of children and adolescents, and (4) engage parents in various aspects of the delinquency case without compromising the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship or sacrificing the fundamental rights, dignity, and autonomy of the child client.

Eroding Confidentiality In Delinquency Proceedings: Should Schools And Public Housing Authorities Be Notified?, Kristin N. Henning

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In this Article, Professor Henning examines how schools and public housing authorities obtain juvenile records and explains how these institutions may use the records to exclude children and their families from the basic benefits of education and housing. Drawing on recent research in the field of developmental psychology, Professor Henning reevaluates early assumptions about adolescents' amenability to treatment and the impact of stigma on children and explores the practical implications of sharing records with schools and public housing authorities, questioning whether new confidentiality exceptions actually will yield the expected benefits of improved public safety. She concludes that legislators should deny …