Educational Objectives

The objectives of the Juvenile Law Internship are to educate students in juvenile law and procedure, to teach students how to negotiate and how to prosecute juvenile court matters including hearings, to expose students to the realities of the people who find themselves subject to juvenile court jurisdiction, to teach students about the work of social workers and other experts employed by the system and how to work with these professionals, to teach students good practice in this area of the law, to help students understand ethical issues, and to encourage students to think about juvenile law policy and reform. These goals are communicated to students during the first meeting with the supervising professor. The professor meets with the field supervisor at the beginning of each placement to discuss the student’s needs and the objectives of the internship.

Faculty Supervisor

Dean Andrea Charlow

Field-Placement Supervisors

Andrea Vitzthum, Assistant Polk County Attorney

Prerequisites

Children & the Law and Trial Advocacy are prerequisites for this course. In addition, the supervising professor and the field supervisor screen students.