HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Hofstra Law School student
Jaclyn J. Jenkins had the rare distinction of participating on a panel before the NYS Bar Association's Committee on Children and the Law.
Ms. Jenkins is a member of Hofstra Law School's class of 2008, a Child and Family Advocacy Fellow, and the Notes and Comments Editor of the
Family Court Review. She spoke as part of a program entitled
"Children in the Court: Concerns, Challenges and Benefits of Youth Participation on Court Proceedings,".
Professor Andrew Schepard, Director of the Center for Children, Families and the Law at Hofstra Law School, also a panelist, provides this account of Jaclyn’s achievement:
“The room was packed with over 100 people, including lawyers from all over New York State and a number of judges. Jaclyn's mission was to discuss the perspectives of youth and foster care and their participation in court proceedings. She was poised, confident and professional, not at all intimidated by the setting.
“Integrating her own experiences with the legal system as a foster child, with the research for her note published in the Family Court Review in January, Jaclyn made concrete proposals for how the legal system could more inclusively involve foster children in hearings about them. At the end of her cogent and passionate presentation, Jaclyn received a standing ovation from this very sophisticated audience. It was the highlight of the program and, by far, the most memorable presentation of the day. A number of people came up to me afterwards and told me how wonderful Jaclyn was. I was proud of her, and am sure the entire Hofstra community would have been too.”
