What is the Juvenile Defense Center project?
Nebraska Youth Advocates (NYA) is dedicated to giving juvenile defense attorneys the tools necessary to advocate zealously on behalf of their clients. NYA serves as a resource center for juvenile defense attorneys in Nebraska promoting best practices in the juvenile justice system. Projects include direct training, technical assistance, legislative advocacy and resource development. Procedural justice, fair and respectful treatment in the attorney-client relationship is a guiding framework for the project.
Who are the members of the Juvenile Defense Center project?
Christine Henningsen, Director: oversees the training and advocacy areas and serves on various statewide juvenile justice collaborations.
Joy Suder, Staff Attorney: assists in all program areas and serves as co-chairperson of Douglas County’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiatives Case Processing Subcommittee.
Krystia Reed, Graduate Assistant Program Evaluator: oversees the project evaluation on procedural fairness in juvenile court, focusing on youth’s impressions on interactions with their defense counsel.
Vicky Weisz, Faculty Supervisor Program Evaluator: Krystia’s faculty supervisor and oversees the program and project evaluations.
When did the Juvenile Defense Center project begin, and how long is it for?
NYA began in 2016, and we have a three-year grant funded through the Sherwood Foundation.
What inspired this project, and how has it evolved?
When the Court Improvement Project was moved from CCFL to the court system, I needed to find a job! Though a stressful time, it forced me to really evaluate what it was I wanted to do with my career moving forward. Joy and I were both inspired by our years serving as juvenile defense attorneys and working on fixing systemic issues that worked against youth to really focus in on the specific practice of juvenile defense. Juvenile Defense is a highly specialized practice, but it is not always viewed as such. In collaboration with the National Juvenile Defense Center, we have worked to increase education across the state and within the bar to recognize the need for improved advocacy for youth.
Any challenges in the project?
I am an attorney, not an administrator. Working on some of the organizational aspects of the project has been a learning experience, but everyone at CCFL has been incredibly supportive as I figure out what I am doing. Also, there are some challenges in overcoming people’s perceptions that juvenile court is kiddie court and there is no need for specialized training for attorneys. They fail to recognize that every youth who finds himself/herself in the juvenile justice system regardless of the charge is facing out of home placement and how crucial it is that we implement interventions which help youth reach their true potential.
What’s the most exciting or best part of getting to work on or being part of this project?
I feel so lucky that I was able to really create my dream job and find funding to make it happen (for the time being). It has been great to watch the community of juvenile defense attorneys evolve and become more connected. Being a juvenile defense attorney is not easy, and many practitioners are in solo practice. Therefore, it has been exciting to watch connections being made and support being offered across the bar.