Introduction to Juvenile Delinquency Defense

3 Credit Hours

This realistic simulated trial course will introduce students to rudimentary trial practice in juvenile delinquency court. Using a simulated case in which actors are hired to portray clients, clients’ parents, and witnesses, students will learn and practice litigating a trial-level delinquency matter. The course will integrate all three of the Carnegie apprenticeships, operating on the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective axes. The case will unspool chronologically, starting with the initial client meeting and culminating in a simulated trial. While the focus of the course will be on the development of trial skills and introduction of the history of and concepts integral to juvenile delinquency, the course will also incorporate examination of the rules of professional conduct, the realities of the history, demographics, and limitations of the juvenile delinquency system, and the role of the defense attorney in juvenile delinquency court.