The course will introduce students to juvenile law and the jurisdiction of the juvenile court by focusing on delinquency, the criminal equivalent in the juvenile justice system. It will start with the formation of juvenile courts and their underlying philosophies to provide historical context. Then the course will examine the stages of delinquency proceedings, focusing on comparing and contrasting them with criminal proceedings. The course finishes with some of the reforms affecting juvenile justice today and current trends in the law. The course makes use of secondary materials to introduce concepts and provide more global perspectives of issues. It will also help students practice foundational skills like writing case briefs and reading and interpreting statutes and rules of practice and procedure. An optional tour of the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court and attached Detention Center will also occur, with an opportunity to meet with judges and magistrates.
Sarah Cigic is a Deputy Court Administrator and Chief Legal Counsel for the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court Clerk's Office and adjunct professor of law at CWRU.
The syllabus for your course is available on Canvas.
** No Textbook Required **