- Caitlin Becker, MSW, The Bronx Defenders
- Emma Ketteringham, JD, The Bronx Defenders
- Hayley Lichterman, JD, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
The juvenile or family court was conceived as a rehabilitative, rather than punitive, court. When problem-solving courts emerged in the 1990s, the family court readily accepted this collaborative model of intervening in families’ lives. Since then, problem-solving courts have expanded. The presenters present on the history of problem-solving courts and review their efficacy, the challenges posed by this “collaborative” approach to state intervention, and the ways holistic defenders are well positioned to respond to the problem-solving courts. The session offers a critical look at the phenomenon of problem-solving courts, and a dialogue about how family defenders can zealously advocate for their clients in this context.