With our expert panel we will review In re Gault, Nebraska statutes regarding youth right to counsel, and what other states are doing on this issue. The panel will also take a look at the most recent Nebraska Juvenile Justice Statistical Annual Report and discuss what the data tells us about what is happening across our state regarding youth and their right to counsel, including barriers and thoughts on what, if anything, would be different if a youth had counsel in a particular case. Lastly the panel will touch on understanding what your rights are and why that knowledge is important.
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Presenters
Judge Randin Roland graduated from Creighton Law School in 1993 and was a prosecutor in the Cheyenne County Attorney's Office (Sidney) from 1995 - 2006. In 2006 Judge Roland was appointed to his current judicial position. As a member of the Nebraska Supreme Court Commission on Children in the Courts, he currently serves as the chair of the Juvenile Resources Committee. Judge Roland is also a project co-chair with Judge Roger Heideman from Lancaster County Juvenile Court for the Sate's Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative and Vice-Chair for the Nebraska Supreme Court's Dispute Resolution Advisory Council. In 2022 Judge Roland received the Nebraska Supreme Court's Distinguished Judge Award for Improvement of the Judicial System, and is a Nebraska State Bar Foundation Fellow.
Joy M. Suder, J.D., has been practicing law in Nebraska since 2008, as a public defender in Douglas County, in private practice, and now as the Director of the Juvenile Justice Legal Clinic at Creighton University School of Law. Joy is a Special Appointed Magistrate for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and has also served as Judge Pro-temporare for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.
Joy is a certified trainer of the Youth Defense Advocacy Program from the Gault Center (formerly National Juvenile Defender Center) in best practices for defense counsel for youth. She has been invited to train attorneys and stakeholders both locally and nationally, and currently serves on the Gault Center’s National Advisory Board as well as a Co-regional Director for the North Central Region of the United States.
Juliet Summers, J.D., is the Executive Director of Voices for Children in Nebraska. She has dedicated her career to advocating for children and youth: as an elementary school teacher, a juvenile public defender, an education rights attorney, and for several years as the policy coordinator for child welfare and juvenile justice at Voices prior to her current role.
Juliet received her B.A. from Duke University and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. She is an active member of the Nebraska State Bar Association, and serves as the treasurer of the Juvenile Law Section.
Sidnea (Sid) Brown, J.D., a native of Omaha, Nebraska, is a criminal defense attorney and proud graduate of Creighton University School of Law. She currently serves as Head of the Juvenile Division at the Hall County Public Defender’s Office, where she primarily represents juveniles and also practices general criminal defense. Since beginning her legal career in 2022, Sid has been passionate about advocating for youth and working toward a more compassionate and equitable justice system.
Sarah Mitchell (she/her) is the Community Organizer for Nebraska Appleseed’s Child Welfare team where she works alongside families, advocates, and community members to elevate the voices of those most impacted by the child welfare system. Grounded in a belief that meaningful change starts with those closest to the issues, Sarah focuses on building relationships, creating spaces for collaboration, and supporting efforts to promote justice and equity in Nebraska’s child welfare system policies and practices. She brings a deep commitment to listening, learning, and centering lived experience in all aspects of her work. Before Nebraska Appleseed, Sarah was a longtime advocate for the Nebraska foster care and juvenile justice system. With her perspective of lived experience and knowledge, she brings much to the table in ensuring that youth have a safe space to use their voice and be heard. Sarah currently is a part of the youth day planning committee for the Nebraska Juvenile Justice association and a proud advocate and volunteer for Camp Catch-Up.