Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

ENROLLED ORIGNAL

                                A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION

                                              25-210

                    IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

                                           May 7, 2024

To recognize and honor the Georgetown University Law Center Juvenile Justice Clinic on the

       occasion of its 50th anniversary.

        WHEREAS, the Georgetown University Law Center Juvenile Justice Clinic (“Juvenile

Justice Clinic”) was founded in the 1973-74 academic year by Judith C. Areen to provide a clinical

legal education program to guard the rights of children and improve the quality of life for children

in the District of Columbia;

        WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic was directed by Wallace J. Mlyniec from its

inception until 2015;

       WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic has been directed by Kristin N. Henning since

2015, with Wallace J. Mlyniec remaining as senior counsel;

        WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic is part of the nation’s largest law schools and one

of the earliest and most extensive clinical programs in the America;

        WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic is one of the first law-school based clinics

specializing in children’s issues and the oldest continuously running children’s rights clinic in the

country;

       WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic has handled all types of cases involving children

throughout its history, including delinquency, education, and abuse and neglect matters;

       WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic now focuses on holistically representing children

brought before the Family Court in delinquency matters;

       WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic has taught nearly 900 students and more than 50

fellows over the last 50 years;

                                                 1

                                                                       ENROLLED ORIGNAL

       WHEREAS, Juvenile Justice Clinic students, fellows, staff, and professors have

represented at least 4,500 clients in the District of Columbia Superior Court and Court of Appeals

over the last 50 years;

       WHEREAS, Juvenile Justice Clinic students, fellows, staff, and professors have been

instrumental in vindicating the rights of children recognized in the United States Supreme Court’s

1967 decision in In re Gault and holding the government accountable for the reasonable provision

of rehabilitative services;

        WHEREAS, Juvenile Justice Clinic students, fellows, staff, and professors have provided

leadership in improving the District of Columbia’s juvenile legal system and its overall treatment

of children and families;

       WHEREAS, throughout its history, Juvenile Justice Clinic staff and professors have

provided assistance to the Council of the District of Columbia on legislation relating to children

and the manner in which they interact with the District’s educational, behavioral health, child

welfare, delinquency, and Persons in Need of Supervision (“PINS”) systems;

        WHEREAS, Juvenile Justice Clinic staff and professors have also provided assistance to

District executive agencies, the District of Columbia Superior Court, the Office of the Attorney

General, the United States Congress, and numerous local and national organizations to improve

the lives of children and the administration of justice;

        WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic has sponsored numerous trainings and continuing

legal education sessions designed to train and support the local delinquency bar;

      WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic launched the Juvenile Justice Initiative in 2015 to

expand its impact and enhance its ability to promote racial justice;

       WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic, in partnership with the Gault Center, regularly

holds trainings for youth defenders from across the country, including the Youth Defender

Advocacy Program’s Summer Academy, the Ambassadors for Racial Justice program, and the

monthly racial justice training series;

       WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic also hosts the mid-Atlantic regional center for the

Gault Center to support youth defenders in Virginia, Maryland, and the District;

       WHEREAS, the Juvenile Justice Clinic also co-convenes a number of local coalitions in

the District dedicated to ending the school-to-prison pipeline and making the District’s

delinquency system the smallest, best, and most just system in the country;

                                                2

                                                                   ENROLLED ORIGNAL

        RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this

resolution may be cited as the “Georgetown University Law Center Juvenile Justice Clinic 50th

Anniversary Recognition Resolution of 2024”.

       Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors the Georgetown

University Law Center Juvenile Justice Clinic on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

       Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

                                                3