Happy Hanukkah and happy first Friday! This week will be rather special, not because it is the first Friday of December, but because it is the first Friday that our blog will have a new section where we will bring you a tip of the week! These tips will be short, sweet nuggets of wisdom and suggestions for juvenile defenders to apply in practice. Check out the first tip of 2018 below along with the usual training and job opportunity reminders.
Tip of the Week – Records, Records and More Records
There is a universe of documented information about your client. First, review and obtain copies of the clerks file, the official record of the court. Get a copy of the N.C. Juvenile Online Information Network (NC-JOIN) file from the court counselor’s office. You don’t need a court order for this (7B-3001(c)(1)), but we have a form to help expedite the request. Obtain a release form(s) from your client and the parent/guardian, and go hunting! Educational records, mental health records, involvement with the Department of Social Service, placement records. You may also consider housing or employment documentation if it helps your case.
Training
From March 25- 29, 2019, at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) will be hosting the Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Justice Certificate Program. This is an intensive training hosted in partnership with the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP) and designed to support local jurisdictions in their efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in their juvenile justice systems. The training will allow participants to develop and implement a Capstone Project designed to reduce the disparate treatment in their communities. CJJR will only accept a limited number of applicants, so please visit the website to view the curriculum and learn how to apply to the training. Applications will be accepted until Friday, Dec. 14. For more information, please visit the training website.
Job Opportunities
On Dec. 1, Indigent Defense Services (IDS) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in Caswell, Person, Alamance, Orange, and Chatham counties. The current contracts for adult noncapital criminal cases at the trial level and per session court cases in those districts will expire on May 31, 2019 and renew on June 1, 2019. The RFP (RFP #16-0002R) seeks services for adult noncapital criminal cases at the trial level, juvenile delinquency, abuse/neglect/dependency and termination of parental rights, and treatment courts. Please note that the RFP will not seek offers for potentially capital cases at the trial level, direct appeals or post-conviction cases. Also, the juvenile delinquency RFP will only include Caswell, Alamance, and Person counties. The deadline for electronic offers is Feb. 15, 2019. To access the RFP, please check here.
The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts public defender agency, is currently seeking a director for its newly created Strategic Litigation Unit. The Strategic Litigation Unit will be responsible for litigation aimed at achieving systemic and institutional reform in all of CPCS’s criminal and civil practice areas. The Strategic Litigation Director will lead those efforts and will work with other attorneys, advocacy organizations, and clients to promote justice for and protect the rights of individuals who are parties in criminal and civil right-to-counsel proceedings. The director’s responsibilities will include criminal and civil litigation and administrative advocacy. Litigation will include both trial and appellate advocacy in state and federal court. Depending upon the matter at issue, the director may serve as lead counsel, co-counsel, consultant, amicus curiae, or provide technical support. The position will be posted until filled. To find further information and to apply, please visit here.
Bay Area Legal Aid is currently seeking a Youth Justice Staff Attorney who will provide civil legal services designed to meet the individualized needs of delinquency-involved youth, with a particular focus on SSI cases for children with disabilities. This position is based out of Alameda County, CA, but the position may include travel throughout the Bay Area. The Youth Justice Attorney’s responsibilities include client interviews, negotiations with governmental agencies/opposing parties, research and writing, and representation at administrative and court proceedings. The attorney is also expected to engage in outreach with probation, social services, law enforcement, youth service providers, and other community organizations. Beyond SSI cases, the position may also include a smaller, mixed caseload in areas such as special education, health access, public benefits (e.g. foster care benefits, CalWORKs, and General Assistance), legal permanency, housing, and other work. Clients served by this project experience high rates of sexual exploitation, abuse and neglect, and mental health-related issues which the attorney will be expected to navigated in providing legal assistance. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue on a rolling basis, but applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. For a full description of the job responsibilities and the application process, please check here.
That wraps up this week. Please check us out on Twitter and join us on the OJD Facebook page for other news and updates throughout the week. Check back in next Friday for more tips and (possibly) more news before the year’s end!
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