YLC at Beyond the Bench

Youth Law Center attorneys Alice Bussiere, Jennifer Rodriguez and Sue Burrell spoke at the statewide Beyond the Bench Conference held December 14-16, 2011 in San Francisco, sponsored by the Judicial Council of California, Administrative Office of the Courts, Center for Families, Children and the Courts. This year’s conference was the 21st Beyond the Bench, and it carried the theme of “Coming of Age in Tough Times: Building Our Strength Together.” It was attended by 1400 juvenile system professionals, including judges, prosecutors, defenders, social workers, probation officers and advocates. Alice Bussiere and Jennifer Rodriguez presented daylong trainings on recent legislation that extends foster care benefits to youth beyond the age of 18, “California’s Fostering Connections to Success Act (AB 12/AB 212): A Comprehensive Overview of the Legislation and Its Impact.” Trainings included a daylong track focused on application of the legislation to youth in the delinquency system, and workshops explaining eligibility and benefits for participating youth. Sue Burrell presented on the status of state juvenile justice reform with Judge Kurt Kumli of Santa Clara County, Commonweal’s David Steinhart, and Fresno County Chief Probation Officer Linda Penner, “California’s Juvenile Justice System: Re-Tooling or Rudderless?”