BEST PRACTICES: REGULAR CLIENT CONTACT

In order to determine whether quality legal representation exists in your jurisdiction, the CIP can collect data on some of the following positive and negative indicators of regular client contact.

POSITIVE INDICATORS

  • Youth understands who attorney is and what attorney’s role is
  • Attorney spends time needed to fully understand the youth and their needs, opinions, desires, interests, strengths, and challenges
  • Attorney and youth have contact outside the courtroom, in a variety of contexts (meetings, home visits, community, school)
  • Attorney communicates with the youth in a manner consistent with the youth’s preferences (in-person, text, phone, email, FaceTime)
  • Attorney has contact with the youth at all key moments in the case and youth’s life

RED FLAGS

  • Youth does not know who attorney is/how to get in contact with attorney/that they have an attorney
  • Youth has never met their attorney
  • Attorney spends insufficient time with youth that does not allow for meaningful rapport-building or understanding of youth’s key issues, concerns, and opinions
  • Attorney approaches communication with all clients in the same manner, regardless of youth preferences
  • Attorney only has contact with youth immediately preceding/during court appearances