National Conference on Homeless Youth and the Law
Trial Ad (and other) Notes: The American Bar Association Commission on Homelessness and Poverty, American Bar Association Commission on Youth at Risk, and the National Network for Youth, in collaboration with Casey Family Programs, are wrapping up a two-day working conference — the National Conference on Homeless Youth and the Law, June 19-20, 2008, at the University of Washington School of Law.
Why here? (Why not here?) One reason to gather the participants here is the strong leadership from two local attorneys (and UW alumni): Casey Trupin, who founded Street Youth Legal Advocates of Washington when he was a law student and went on to work on issues of homeless youth at Columbia Legal Services, is the chair of the ABA Commission on Homelehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifssness and Poverty. And Bobbe J. Bridge, who just retired from the Supreme Court bench and is the founder and President of the Center for Children & Youth Justice, chaired the advisory committee for the conference.
The conference received support from the Seattle University School of Law, the University of Washington School of Law, the William H. Gates Public Service Law Program, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Garvey Schubert Barer, Ron and Janice Perey, and the Perey Law Group. Students from SYLAW helped with the conference — e.g., taking minutes in the working groups.
Right now, I’m listening to representatives from breakout groups on different issues present recommendations — the seeds of model laws or administrative action. For instance, some issues:
- Out the outset, drafters should consider definitions. What’s “youth”? What’s “homeless”? In come contexts, “youth” might include anyone up to age 24; in other contexts, it might only need to be 18. And how young do you want to start some programs?
- What should happen to youth involved in status offenses? (These are offenses that, by definition, cannot be committed…