Product Description

MCLE’s Juvenile Delinquency & Child Welfare Law Conference brings you a cohesive program that addresses current issues in the juvenile delinquency and child welfare practice areas. Our planning committee is comprised of representatives from DYS, Probation, DCF, the District Attorney’s Office, CPCS YAD, the Juvenile Court, CPCS CAFL, and an expert in juvenile forensic mental health. Chief Justice Amy Nechtem starts the day speaking on the state of the Juvenile Court in Massachusetts and Judge Jay Blitzman closes out the Conference with some words of wisdom before a networking reception.

Conference highlights include featured speaker, clinical forensic psychologist, Dr. Antoinette Kavanaugh. While an expert in many areas of juvenile justice, Dr. Kavanaugh addresses an issue important to everyone who works with juveniles: how to connect with someone who is not from your world. Learn how to put away assumptions, address differences, and talk to the children you work with. Formerly the Clinical Director of the Juvenile Justice Division in the Cook County, Illinois Juvenile Court Clinic and a clinical professor at Northwestern University’s School of Law, Dr. Kavanaugh is now in private practice as a practitioner and consultant.

Conference workshops include digital and social media, motivational interviewing, pathway to speedy reunification, children in the courtroom and on the stand, and updates on the criminal law reforms that impact juveniles. Some sessions focus separately on delinquency and child welfare issues to allow for a more focused conversation on issues unique to each practice area. Also, hear from the real experts: juveniles who have been through the systems and parents who can give us insights to better understand those most impacted by the Juvenile Court. Program materials are available electronically before, during, and after the Conference.

Agenda & Materials

• 9:00 am - 9:10 am

  Welcome and Introduction

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  Amy M. Karp, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services , Boston
  Wendy Wolf, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services, Youth Advocacy Division , Boston
  
• 9:10 am - 9:30 am

  Chief Justice Nechtem Remarks

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  Hon. Amy Nechtem,
  
• 9:30 am - 10:30 am

  “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” – Audre Lorde

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  Dr. Antoinette Kavanaugh, , Chicago
  
• 10:30 am - 11:30 am

  Listening to the Experts: Voices of the Clients

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• 11:30 am - 11:45 am

  Networking and Refreshment Break
• 11:45 am - 1:15pm

  Workshops (choose one)
• • What’s Happening With the 2018 Crime Bill (Lower Level)

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  Since it took effect almost 18 months ago, various sections of the crime bill have drastically altered the way juvenile delinquency is dealt with in the courts. This panel will address what exactly is happening across the state with regard to things like judicial diversion, Wallace W., and expungement. For other issues, like the definition of delinquency and parental disqualification, we will also update participants about relevant proposed legislation. Participants will come away with concrete strategies for putting the bill into practice.

  Michael Glennon, Esq., Brody, Hardoon, Perkins & Kesten , Boston
  Lauren E. Russell, Esq., Children's Law Center of Massachusetts, Inc. (CLCM) , Lynn
  
• • Motivational Interviewing (Upper Level)

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  Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a directive, client centered interactive communication style designed to identify, explore and resolve ambivalence which facilitates positive behavior change. In this interactive, hands on workshop, participants will be exposed to the origins of MI, the change process and will practice micro skills of MI which will make it more likely that others will listen, be engaged and be ready to make changes.

  Brenda Westberry, Westberry Consulting
  
• • Children in the Courtroom and on the Stand CHILD WELFARE (Auditorium)

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  A lively panel discussion among at least one former foster child, a judge, a social worker, and practitioners. The discussion will focus on how to empower children, youth, and young adults involved in child welfare matters by bringing them into court to participate and to testify at evidentiary and non-evidentiary hearings, and trials. Panelists will discuss the law around the child’s right to participate and give evidence in their case, bringing the child into court, talking with them about attending, and preparing them. Panelists will discuss practical considerations and outline the law on accommodations and due process requirements. We will hear from a former foster child about how very important it was for them to come to court, to have their voice heard, and to hear about how decisions were made that significantly affected their life. The panel will address how the youth voice can be the most important in the courtroom, how it can help shape the case, and how to provide accommodations and support to the client both in court and afterward. We will hear specific instances of how it worked, and how it could be done better.

  ,
  Amy Ponte, Committee for Public Counsel Services, Children and Family Law Division , Fall River
  Hon. Gloria Y. Tan, Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts , Boston
  Mimi N. Wong, Esq., Commenwealth of Massachusetts, Sex Offender Registry Board , Brookline
  
• 1:15 pm - 2:30 pm

  Lunch (on your own)
• 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

  Workshops (choose one)
• • Pathway to Speedy Reunification (Lower Level)

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  In the past year, the Juvenile Court has begun to roll out its new Pathways initiative around the state. One of Pathways’ goals is that “children who can safety return home will do so sooner, thus reducing their trauma[.]” Judge Carol Shaw, who first implemented Pathways as a pilot project in Springfield, will provide an overview of the initiative and its goals. Presenters will then discuss how Pathways, along with some new initiatives at DCF, can be used to achieve earlier reunification of families. The presenters will discuss how the court, DCF, and attorneys for parents and children can promote early reunification through active engagement with families, safety planning, and provision of services and supports. We will provide tips for engaging families and ensuring their voices are heard in the decision making process.

  Stacy Boothe, Massachusetts Dept of Children and Families, Northeast Region , Salem
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  Hon. Carol A. Shaw, Hampden County Juvenile Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts , Springfield
  Dorothy Meyer Storrow, Esq., Law Offices of Dorothy Meyer Storrow , Gill
  
• • Navigating Social Media in Child Welfare and Delinquency Cases (Auditorium)

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  Have you ever struggled to get facts into evidence that are already all over facebook? Ever been confronted in the courtroom with a printout of your client's confession on what they thought was a private snapchat account? Or have you ever spent a fruitless hour googling your client in a desperate attempt to make contact? If so, this panel is for you! You will learn about legal standards and techniques for admitting and defending against social media evidence in delinquency and C&P cases, as well as some tips for informal discovery and out of court uses of social media.

  Hannah Baker, Esq., Department of Unemployment Assistance, Commonwealth of Massachusetts , Boston
  Melanie J. Roberts, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services , Boston
  Steven R. Verronneau, MWV Multi-Media Forensic Investigative Services, Inc. , Fall River
  
• • Being Heard (Upper Level)

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  Being Heard: Delinquency/Youthful Offender cases are focused on youth yet we rarely hear from our clients or young people who are effected. Can we change the narrative and protect those that come before the court? This workshop will have you think about ways you can give power to young people in the court and think about ways you help young people have their voice heard.

  Hon. Kerry Ann Ahern, Essex Juvenile Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts , Salem
  Sandra Hilario, Middlesex County Juvenile Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts , Cambridge
  Ziyad S. Hopkins, Esq., Youth Advocacy Division, Committee for Public Counsel Services , Quincy
  Charlene Luma, LICSW, Suffolk County District Attorney's Office , Boston
  
• 4:00 pm - 4:15 pm

  Networking and Refreshment Break
• 4:15 pm - 4:45 pm

  Fairness and Due Process: Engaging Children and Families

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  Hon. Jay D. Blitzman, , Watertown
  
• 4:45 pm

  Reception

Please Note

MCLE webcasts are delivered completely online, underscoring their convenience and appeal. There are no published print materials. All written materials are available electronically only. They are posted 24 hours prior to the program and can be accessed, downloaded, or printed from your computer.

Cochairs

Featured Speaker(s)

Faculty