Criminal & Juvenile Justice Project Clinic (CJP)—Significant Achievements for 2013-14
CJP students have been actively engaged in litigation and reform related to the human rights issue of sentencing juveniles to life without parole. In addition to representing two clients presently serving the sentence, law and social work students have worked with the Illinois Coalition for the Fair Sentencing of Children and other organizations and community groups around public education, legislative reform and training. For example, law students prepared for and participated in a moot court exercise, preparing the lawyer who argued before the Illinois Supreme Court on the question of the retroactive application of Miller v Alabama, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision declaring mandatory life sentences for juveniles unconstitutional. In March 2014, the Court ruled that Miller was retroactive and we are now waiting for the State’s decision on whether to file for a petition for a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. Students have visited our clients in the Illinois Department of Corrections to apprise them of legal developments and to begin the process of assembling and evaluating mitigation evidence for potential resentencing hearings
In May 2014, CJP co-sponsored with the Illinois Judicial Council its second “Living Like We’re Bullet-proof” symposium. The symposium held at the Law School was a day long discussion on youth violence and solutions for our communities. Students participated in the planning and coordination of the program bringing together youth, government, community, judicial and other stakeholders. Over one hundred participants attended and the symposium has been aired on public access television.
Last week, a former CJP student Manish Shah’98 was sworn in as a federal district court judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Professor Conyers was invited to speak at the ceremony and moved his admission to the court.