Clinic: Juvenile Justice

• Semester: Spring 2025
• Course ID: 697C
• Credit Hours: 6
• Unique: 29555

Special Instructions

Description

JUVENILE JUSTICE CLINIC This program offers litigation experience while exposing students to the operations of the juvenile justice system, by placing them as student attorneys with the Travis County Juvenile Public Defender. Clients are indigent juveniles, aged 10 to 17, who are charged with criminal offenses ranging from Class B misdemeanors to first degree felonies. Student attorneys are assigned a caseload (four open cases at all times and approximately 8-10 cases per semester) for which they have primary responsibility under the supervision of an attorney in the public defender's office. The student attorneys perform all investigation, interview, discovery, plea bargain and litigation functions on their cases.

Student attorneys will likely set hearings for plea adjudications/dispositions on Tuesdays (am or pm), Thursdays (am) and possibly Wednesday as needed with some ability to request specific settings on other days. Contested hearings are usually scheduled for Monday or Tuesday afternoon or Friday morning. The more flexible the student's schedule is the more opportunity for handling a variety of cases within the court’s scheduling of cases. Please take this into account when scheduling other classes and contact Pam Sigman if you have questions about your schedule. Approximately 15 plus hours per week will be required for working cases and for participating in the classroom component. The class usually meets on Tuesdays (all semester) and Thursdays (first half of the semester).

Each Monday (1:00 pm), Wednesday (1:00 pm) and Friday (9 am), Travis County Juvenile Court holds detention hearings to determine if juveniles who are being detained should be released. A public defender is present to provide representation for each juvenile who has a hearing that day. Student attorneys will each take responsibility as the public defender for three days of the semester. You will sign up for specific dates. This teaches students to develop and handle new cases in a very short time, and to think and act quickly in court.

Each student will complete a mock hearing exercise that is recorded and held in the Eidman Courtroom. The exercise teaches the student to prepare for argument and examination of witnesses in the context of a hearing to suppress illegally seized evidence. The mock hearing occurs outside of the regular class meeting.

During the first month of the semester, the class has meetings on Fridays for tours usually between 10-1 on the 2nd and 3rd Fridays of the semester. The class travels outside of Austin to tour a Texas Juvenile Justice Department facility and meets with juveniles who have been sentenced to TJJD (this is usually 8-3 on a Friday about the 4th or 5th week). Please try and keep your Fridays open for the first 4-5 weeks of the semester. If you have a Friday class conflict or other commitment, we can accommodate some situations with alternative assignments/dates. Contact Pam Sigman if you have questions about your schedule

Additionally, the class speaks to seventh grade students at a local middle school in April about constitutional rights/protections and the consequences of violating the law.

All credit is awarded on the pass/fail basis (six hours). The Clinic is open to students who have completed their first two semesters.

The Juvenile Justice Clinic provides a meaningful opportunity for students to learn juvenile law, interact with clients, advocate for your clients in court proceedings, and participate in educating children about the law. Please feel free to contact Pam Sigman if you have any questions.

Pam Sigman, Director 512-619-3222