Lives in the Law Speaker Stephen Dixon, Children’s Rights

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. in the Eidman Courtroom and 12:45-1:45 p.m. in the Jury Room. Lunch served at 12:45.

During the first hour, which is free and open to the public, Stephen Dixon, of counsel with Children’s Rights, will discuss his work on litigation challenging the Texas foster care system in a talk entitled “Advocating for Children in the Texas Foster Care System: Substantive Due Process and the Right to Healthy Childhood Development.” During the second hour he will meet with students more informally over lunch to discuss his life and career, including his path from public defender to civil rights advocate and how the two fields connect and compare.

The “Lives in the Law” speaker series focuses on the work and lives of lawyers who strive to improve the lives of others through litigation, advocacy and public service.

Hosted by the Career Services Office and the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law.

More about Children’s Rights and Stephen Dixon: Children’s Rights is a national advocacy organization based in New York City that defends the rights of children in foster care. Stephen Dixon joined Children’s Rights in July 2009. Prior to that, he was the section chief in juvenile court for the Office of Public Defender in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In that capacity, he represented hundreds of youth in both child welfare and delinquency proceedings. He was a co-founder of the Juvenile Law Clinic at the LSU Law Center and was lead counsel in In Re C.B., a landmark Louisiana Supreme Court case on the right to treatment for youth in custody and the right to trial by jury for youth at risk of being placed at hard labor. He also served a a member of the Louisiana Law Institute’s Children’s Code Committee, contributing to legislative reform both within the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.