We are recruiting for Pro Bono Law Students

What is Teen Court?

• Teen Court is a sentencing hearing for first time felony or misdemeanor juvenile offenders
• Teen students serve as attorneys, bailiffs, clerks, and jurors
• The defendant is sentenced according to the judgment of the Teen Court jury
• The only adult participant during the hearing is the judge
• Teen Court is open year round

What are my Responsibilities?

• Arrive between 5:15 pm and 5:30 pm to be present for case assignments and any announcements. During this time you will receive a docket for the case(s) that you will be responsible for critiquing.
• At 6:00 you will break out and go to the courtroom where your case(s) will be heard. At this point, the defense team will interview their client(s). You are responsible for sitting in on this interview and helping the attorneys prepare their cases. You may ask any questions of the defendant that you think the attorneys have missed, as well as, provide any input that you think might be helpful to their case(s).
• The first hearing will begin at 7:00pm. During this time you are responsible for taking notes on the performance of the attorneys (both sides) during the presentation of their case(s). Things to watch for include: basic argument skills, objections that should or should not have been made, questioning skills, professionalism, and anything else that you think would be helpful to bring out at debriefing.
• During jury deliberations you will serve as juror observers.
• When all of the hearings are complete debriefing takes place in each courtroom. At this point, you may present your critique of the attorneys.