Page 12 - Briefcase Volume 37 Number 1

ZEALOUS ADVOCACY building when legislators meet in
January to consider state funding.
CONFERENCE Baynes relayed to students during

Juvenile advocates had a refresher course on the basics of legal the informal discussion session that
a new facility would enhance the
representation of children at the 17th annual Zealous Advocacy Law Center’s strong reputation and
Conference at the University of Houston Law Center. would likely bolster its standing in
The symposium is sponsored by the Center for Children, Law & Policy national rankings.
and the Southwest Juvenile Defender Center. “A great, new building will allow
“Youth in court often do not feel as if they have a voice or that anyone is us to continue to attract even more Preliminary digital renderings of the Law
Center provided by designLAB.
speaking on their behalf. This intensive two-day training helps lawyers talented and excellent students like
defending young people in court be stronger advocates and produce we currently have.
better outcomes for our youth,” said Ellen Marrus, director of the Center ”The proposed site would be in the space that is currently parking lot
for Children, Law & Policy and Royce Till Professor of Law. 19B directly south of the existing Law Center.”
Topics covered included adolescent development, the role of counsel,
interviewing clients, ethics in juvenile defense, probable cause and PROFESSOR MICHAEL A. OLIVAS
detention, motion practice, disposition advocacy and ethics in juvenile
defense. Participants also split RECIPIENT OF AALS TRIENNIAL
into groups to discuss and
share additional child advocacy AWARD
techniques. Professor Michael A. Olivas, the William B. Bates Distinguished Chair
In addition to Marrus, speakers in Law and director of the Institute for Higher Education Law &
included local juvenile attorney Governance at UHLC, is the 2018 recipient of the The Association of
Tracy Good, Travis County American Law Schools’ (AALS) Triennial Award for Lifetime Service to
juvenile public defender Legal Education and the Law.
Kameron Johnson, Andrew
Meissen, an attorney at the “Being a law faculty member at UHLC all these years has been an honor,
Office of the Public Advocate, and has enabled me to serve this institution I love, and to which I have
Maricopa County, Ariz., Chris dedicated my career,” Olivas said. “We all live to serve our students, and
Phillis, director of the Maricopa to advance scholarship in our fields, and I have never looked back. There
County Office of Public Defense is so much work to do, and so many legal needs. This opportunity for
Services, Amanda Powell of service has always animated and inspired me, as corny as that sounds.”
the National Juvenile Defender Olivas has served on numerous committees during his 38-year career
Center and Pam Vickrey, chair in legal education. He is a renowned scholar in the fields of higher
of the Utah Board of Juvenile education and immigration law, and has worked on legislation in the
Justice and director of Utah interest of social justice when the two intersect. A prolific writer, he
Professor Ellen Marrus Juvenile Defender Attorneys. has written, edited or contributed chapters to 37 books. He has served
The Zealous Advocacy as a legal consultant and expert witness more than 20 times, provided
Conference is the premier professional development training for legislative testimony on the state
juvenile defense attorneys practicing in the southwestern United States. and federal level more than 10
times, and has submitted amicus
Attendees received 14.75 hours of continuing legal education credit with briefs on 23 cases in state and
3.5 ethics hours. federal courts.

UPDATE ON THE NEW BUILDING Olivas joined the Law Center
faculty in 1982 and teaches
During “Discussion with the Dean” sessions, Dean Leonard M. Baynes courses in Business Law &
updated students on the progress of the “More than Bricks” campaign Immigration, Higher Education
which has raised well over half of the 2018 goal of $10 million toward Law, and Immigration Law and
construction of a new Law Center building. Policy. From February 2016 until
The campaign recently received a major boost from the UH Law May 2017, Olivas also served as
the President of the University
Foundation which approved a $2 million challenge grant to match of Houston-Downtown on an
donations given before the end of the year. The $10 million goal is interim basis.
meant to serve as a “down payment” to show alumni support for the new Professor Michael A. Olivas

12 Briefcase 2018