Juvenile Law: Implementing Miller/Jackson in Arkansas

The Clinton School of Public Service and the University of Arkansas School of Law will present “Implementing Miller/Jackson in Arkansas” on Monday, May 13, at the Clinton School in Little Rock. The event, which opens for registration at 11:30 a.m. on May 13, is free and open to the public. The event is pending approval for five hours of continuing legal education for lawyers.

The United States Supreme Court recently ruled in Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs that a mandatory life-without-parole sentence for juveniles violates the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Originating in Arkansas, the Jackson case was argued before Arkansas Supreme Court in April. There are approximately 56 people eligible for relief under this decision in the state and others with related claims.

Panelists will begin with an overview of the United States Supreme Court’s recent juvenile law decisions with particular focus on Miller and Jackson.  Other panel discussions will consider strategies for requesting relief under the Miller/Jackson decision; the Supreme Court’s use of science in formulating recent juvenile law opinions; how to conduct a comprehensive social history of the defendant and identify all relevant mitigation issues; strategies for using the client narrative to obtain positive results through resentencing hearings; and next steps for implementing the Miller/Jackson decision in Arkansas including an update on HB1993, the bill passed recently by the Arkansas Legislature.

Panelists include Alicia D'Addario, senior attorney at Equal Justice Initiative, who argued Jackson v. Hobbs before the Arkansas Supreme Court, and Dana Harrison, a mitigation specialist for the office of the federal public defender in Little Rock. Attorney Jeff Rosenzweig and D’lorah L. Hughes, associate professor of law at the University of Arkansas School of Law, will also present.

To RSVP email publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or call 501-683-5239.