Page 17 - Juvenile Practice is not Child's Play

Important Notes

• Use layman’s terms and age-appropriate vocabulary, especially if your client will testify in court. You
should also make a point of explaining the following terms to your client: right, case, interrogation, confession,
adjudication, disposition, petition, prosecutor (D.A., District Attorney, County Attorney), and status offender.

Also make sure you explain to your client what your job is as a lawyer (counsel), and how you are supposed to
help. Note that youth may not know that attorney, lawyer, and counsel are the same. A good means for
establishing rapport and putting the client at ease, it is often useful to give the client a business card and to use

the card as a prop to reinforce certain messages. Pointing out the lines on the card containing counsel’s phone
numbers, counsel should explain that s/he is giving the client the numbers so that the client can call whenever
the client has questions or has information to impart to counsel. Counsel can say explicitly that it will be
necessary for counsel and the client to keep in touch and to work together closely in fighting against the

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charges.

• Keep in mind that your client is not an adult. They lack the emotional maturity of an adult and
understand “legalese” even less than an adult. It is very important to try to ascertain whether your client

understands what you are telling him or her. One approach is to ask your client to explain in their own words
what you have told him/her to make sure they are comprehending (and paying attention). At first, ask your
client to explain what happened and do not interrupt no matter how confused you get. Ask questions once your
client finishes. This helps in not letting your client forget things they were planning to tell you. Settling the

Roles of Attorney and Client and Explaining the Need for a Truthful Rendition of the Facts Counsel
mentioning that many people accused of a crime have gotten convicted very often because they did not tell
their lawyers about damaging facts that the prosecutor came up with at trial, catching defense counsel by
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surprise.

26 Id. at 126.
27 Id. at 127.