Holistic Youth Defense

TeamChild attorneys Marshaun Barber, Kimberly Williams and Sara Zier presented tips and resources earlier this month for Washington defenders working with youth. Over 50 participants attended the training, the second in a 3-part series, to better understand the civil legal needs of their clients. Topics included Safe Housing, Health and Education. We know from experience that defense attorneys can play a critical role to hold other systems accountable to address a young person’s basic needs and rights.

The first part of this series featured Simmie Baer, one of TeamChild’s founding godmothers, training about youth who are involved in foster care and the juvenile court system. The third part involved the participation of three young men who are incarcerated at Green Hill. These youth trained lawyers about their lived experience as young people impacted by the system and about how lawyers can better communicate and collaborate with their young clients to achieve better outcomes and systemic change. It was an honor to learn from them.

Keep an eye on TeamChild’s Events Calendar to learn about future training opportunities.