Juvenile Justice Clinic Wins Case

Third-year law students Jessica Goodey and Geneva Lemon earned a victory for the Boyd School of Law's Juvenile Justice Clinic on March 31.

Jessica Goodey

Geneva Lemon

All charges were dismissed from their client after a witness testified that he couldn't recognize the alleged criminals by their face, but only by their clothing and the judge later stated, "the testimony was not sufficient." One of the two eye witnesses also didn't show up for the trial.

"It's hard because you know that this person is depending on you," Goodey said. "But it went smoother than I expected."

To prepare for the trial, Goodey and Lemon spent 10-12 hours a day researching the case, interviewing all the witnesses, meeting with the client's family and repeatedly reviewing the evidence. Professor Mary Berkheiser, director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic, assisted the students by appearing in court, discussing different strategies with the students and helping prepare witnesses.

"This gave me the opportunity to get real world experience," Goodey said. "Something you can't get by sitting in the classroom."

The Juvenile Justice Clinic is housed at the law school's Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic. Students in the Juvenile Justice Clinic represent children who have been charged in juvenile delinquency proceedings. They negotiate with district attorneys, conduct contested hearings or trials, and advocate for proper dispositions and sentences. As part of their clinic work, students also have the opportunity to shadow Juvenile Public Defenders and observe all aspects of their work in Juvenile Court.