YLC Suggests Ways to Improve Appointed Counsel Contracts

YLC Staff Attorney Sue Burrell presented in a workshop on “The Importance of Juvenile Contracts in Ensuring Standards of Representation” at the Autumn MacArthur Foundation Cross-Action Network meeting of its Models for Change Initiative, held November 14 and 15, 2012 in Washington, D.C.  The session was moderated by Patti Puritz, Executive Director of the National Juvenile Defender Center, and the other presenters were George Yeannakis from Washington state, and Josh Dohan from Massachusetts; both are the heads of their respective  state teams for the Macarthur Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network.  The workshop offered background on assessing contract needs, what ought to be included in appointed counsel contracts, and concrete examples of how to address those issues in contracts.  Sue’s law review article on appointed counsel contracts was distributed as part of the materials.