Lori Nessel

Lori Nessel

Professor Lori A. Nessel joined Seton Hall in 1995 and is Dean's Fellow and Director of the Center for Social Justice. She regularly teaches immigration and refugee law courses and supervises live cases in the Immigration & Human Rights Clinic, including claims under the Refugee Convention, Torture Convention, as well as cases involving human trafficking, family reunification and other forms of relief from deportation. She has also been actively involved in designing the new International Human Rights/Rule of Law Project and is one of the principle faculty members engaged in the Haiti Rule of Law Project.

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Juvenile Justice Clinic

SEE COURSE DESCRIPTION
Professor: Philip A. Ross, (973) 642-8297
Offered: Fall and spring semesters. Credits: 2
Class: Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.
Court Room: Monday and Friday mornings.

Introduction
The Juvenile Justice Clinic represents indigent juvenile defendants in all facets of juvenile proceedings in the Essex County Family Court.

The time commitment is approximately 15 hours per week, which includes court time, class time, and preparation for court and class exercises.

Clinical Law Practice
Twice per week, the students handle juvenile detention hearings, which are equivalent to adult bail matters. For instance, if a child is arrested by the police for an alleged offense, a hearing is held the next morning before a judge who decides whether to release the client pending a trial, to release him with conditions, or to remand him to the Youth House or Shelter pending further proceedings. The students in the clinic with 57 or more credits appear in court two mornings per week, representing the juveniles at these hearings. These students also handle at least two "pool cases" per semester. In these cases, a student represents the juvenile throughout the court process, participating in the following potential stages of litigation: plea bargain, informal diversion, disposition, motions to suppress, and probable cause hearings and trial. The student, through his or her work in the clinic, receives hands-on criminal practice experience.

Classroom Component
The 2-hour, 20-minute mandatory class is geared toward the student interested in litigation. From the first week to the last, each student performs the following simulated roles: detention hearings, probable cause hearings, simulated direct and cross examination, and simulated summation. Additionally, each student will be involved in an actual criminal jury trial as well as performing a motion to suppress, which includes testimony, argument and written briefs. Also, throughout each semester, lectures are conducted on evidence, trial tactics, motions to suppress, and ethics.