Juvenile Lifers Project – Case Packets with Lone Star Justice Alliance

Students will help create case packets that will be used to recruit pro bono attorneys to provide post-conviction representation to individuals who are serving extreme sentences for offenses committed as juveniles. Students will collect state and federal appellate documents, as well as any news articles or other public materials concerning relevant cases. Students will draft case narratives summarizing the commitment offense and prior criminal history, and may communicate with incarcerated individuals and their families to obtain information necessary to prepare a narrative of individuals’ post-conviction history.

Organization

Lone Star Justice Alliance

The Lone Star Justice Alliance works to reduce the mass incarceration of youth and emerging adults.

Project Details

Project Start Date

February 2018

Approximate hours of work requested
Approximately 4 hours per week on Friday afternoons 1pm-5pm
Training
A 2-hour training will be held on Friday, February 9, 2pm-4pm at LSJA’s offices
Skills used
Legal research/writing; client communication
Project location
Lone Star Justice Alliance; students may be able to complete tasks at school or at home consistent with confidentiality policy and client needs
Number of student volunteers requested
5
Class year preference
1L, 2L, 3L, LLM
Required skills
Student volunteers should have a strong commitment to criminal and juvenile justice issues, particularly reform to harsh juvenile sentencing practices in Texas, racial discrimination in juvenile justice, and/or human rights in the United States
To Apply
Submit email stating interest to Sarah Sedgwick at ssedgwick@law.utexas.edu