Better Legal Outcomes, Better Life Outcomes:
Positive Youth Development and Racial Justice in Practice During
COVID-19
While traditional legal service models have focused primarily on motion
practice and courtroom advocacy, for clients, their involvement in the court
system is about so much more than a case. Research and practice have confirmed
that when legal practitioners and service providers focus on better holistic
life outcomes, better legal outcomes result. This is even more true during the
pandemic. For that reason, a youthful (and young-adult) client’s development and
improved life experience should be a central focus in every case, from care and
protection cases to youthful offender cases.
Seeking racial justice is an important piece in this endeavor. From
biological parents and custodial agencies to lawyers and judges, there is a role
in positive youth development for everyone to play. We will explore what
positive youth development (PYD) means in practice and how to harness the power
of PYD to fuel our clients’ success.
Join us as we give you a solid foundation in the theory and practice of PYD
and strategize how we can best apply it to our most challenging client
circumstances.
Also, please join us as we present the
second annual MBA Juvenile & Child Welfare Award to Anne Bader-Martin, Esq., from One Can
Help, in recognition of her tireless work on behalf of the juvenile and child welfare community.
This symposium is approved for 3 CAFL/YAD credits.
This symposium was hosted using Zoom.
Faculty:
Hon. Jay Blitzman (ret.), Symposium Co-chair
Rebecca Amdemariam, Esq., Symposium Co-chair
CPCS-Mental Health Panel, Boston
Erica Cushna, Esq., Symposium Co-chair
Committee for Public Counsel Services, Boston
Cristina Freitas, Esq., Symposium Co-chair
CAFL Training Unit-CPCS Training Department, Lowell
Debbie Freitas, Esq., Symposium Co-chair
CAFL Training Unit-CPCS Training Department, Lowell
Alexandra Roark, Esq., Symposium Co-chair
Committee for Public Counsel Services, Boston
Leon Smith, Esq., Keynote Speaker
Citizens for Juvenile Justice, Boston
Michelle Banks, Panelist
Department of Children & Families, Boston
Preditta Cedeno, LICSW, Panelist
CAFL, Brockton
Theresa Coney, Esq., Panelist
CPCS Race Equity Trainer, Boston
Sandra Gutierrez, Esq., Panelist
Law Office of Sandra Gutierrez, Lawrence
John Millet, Panelist
Juvenile Court Probation Department, Boston
Melbourne R Moran Jr., LICSW, Panelist
Wanderlust Therapeutic Services, PLLC, Lowell
Melanie Roberts, Esq., Panelist
CPCS YAD, Boston
Ruth Rovezzi, Panelist
Department of Youth Services, Boston