UK Law Announces Conference to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of In re Gault

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 27, 2017) — On Monday, March 6, the University of Kentucky College of Law will host “In re Gault: 50 Years Later.” The conference, featuring some of the nation’s top juvenile justice scholars, will take place in the UK Law Courtroom from 8:30 a.m.-noon and is open to the public. Registration will begin at 8 a.m.

To learn more about the event or to register online, visit www.law.uky.edu/inregault.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of In re Gault, the program will give the audience a look back at the landmark United States Supreme Court decision, which established a right to counsel in juvenile delinquency cases, as well as a glimpse at current issues facing the juvenile justice system.

Conference panelists include:

• Timothy G. Arnold, post-trial division director, Department of Public Advocacy, Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, Commonwealth of Kentucky;
• Hasan Davis, former commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice, educator, youth advocate and performer;
• Josh Gupta-Kagan, assistant professor, University of South Carolina School of Law;
• Elizabeth McMahon, chief, Louisville Metro Public Defender's Office, Juvenile Trial Division; and
• Robin Walker Sterling, associate professor, University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Rebecca Ballard DiLoreto, executive director of the Institute for Compassion in Justice and adjunct professor of law at UK College of Law, and former public defender, will serve as moderator for the event. In addition to panelists discussing the history of In re Gault and current issues in the juvenile justice system, students will be asked to participate by posing questions throughout the event. Immediately following the panel discussion, members of StreetLaw, a student organization at UK Law dedicated to teaching high school students and members of the Lexington community about law and the legal system, will conduct a “Know Your Rights” training.

Post-Conference Evening Event

In addition to the conference, an evening event will educate youth about their legal rights and launch a Youth Justice Advocacy Network to support justice work in Fayette County. The free event titled, “Designing a Youth Justice Advocacy Network and Celebrating In re Gault, the Rights of Youth,” will take place in the King Alumni Hall Ballroom from 4-7 p.m. Sponsors for the event include: Institute for Compassion in Justice, Lexington United, UK Embrace, UK Office of the Provost, Food Connection, and Fayette County Race, Community and Child Welfare/Disproportionate Minority Contact Committee.

The evening will consist of creating a meal together, learning about the constitutional rights of youth in the justice system, and learning how youth can become engaged in advocacy work in Fayette County, in partnership with our local Race, Community and Child Welfare/Disproportionate Minority Contact effort. Youth ages 13-21 are invited to register for the event by calling 859-327-3990 or emailing rrm@icj-ky.org.