Professor Linares Speaks on Georgetown and Urban Institute Panel
Last week, Edward J. Womac, Jr. Endowed Clinic Professor Hector Linares spoke on a panel for Georgetown Law and the Urban Institute's Juvenile Justice and Health Equity: The Role of Trauma-Informed Courts for Youth with Disabilities panel. This panel is part of a larger series on health justice by Georgetown and the Urban Institute.
Research shows that youth with disabilities face disproportionate involvement in the juvenile legal system and heightened risk of trauma. Yet trauma-informed courts, which seek to recognize trauma and prevent re-traumatization in courtroom proceedings, rarely address their unique needs, leaving critical gaps that can worsen health inequities.
Professor Linares teaches the youth defense section of the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic. Prior to entering academia, he was a youth public defender in New Orleans at Juvenile Regional Services (now Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights). He also practiced disability rights law as a supervising attorney at Disability Rights California.