Youth Justice Alliance

This past weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Zealous Advocacy: Helping Youth and Attorneys Become Better Advocates conference at the University of Houston Law Center. As an aspiring attorney, this event truly opened my eyes to the importance of understanding and addressing the needs of young people in the justice system. We heard from amazing speakers, including: Sarah Bebe a Supervising Attorney at Disability Rights Texas, who broke down how Texas law impacts students and their educational opportunities. Henry Gonzales, the Executive Director & Chief Juvenile Probation Officer for Harris County, who introduced us to the Opportunity Center in Harris County, a resource I wasn’t aware of before this event! Ellen Marrus, the Director at the Center for Children, Law & Policy at UH Law, who emphasized the importance of seeing young offenders beyond just their cases and truly understanding their needs. Each speaker provided valuable insights that reinforced the idea that youth advocacy isn’t just about legal defense, it’s about ensuring that children receive the resources, attention, and support they deserve. Huge thanks to Youth Justice Alliance and Armin Salek for making this experience possible! Every session was informative and inspiring, I truly hope to carry these lessons forward and apply them in my future career.

I’m thrilled to share that my team and I secured 3rd place at the American Mock Trial Association Arizona Mock Trial Invitational! As a first-year attorney and with Houston Mock Trial competing in Arizona for the first time, we exceeded expectations. Through months of hard work, dedication, and collaboration, we delivered strong performances in every round. A huge thank you to my amazing team captains and co-counsels - Athina Economon, JR Akoh, Eshal Warsi, and Katie Newhouse - for their leadership and support in this journey, as well as Lucía Ba?os, Kosi Okor, Ronnit Jain, Renyejah Harmon, and Ethan Schwartz for their outstanding contributions and teamwork. Here’s to an incredible start to the mock trial season — and many more milestones ahead!

Yesterday, we welcomed the Youth Justice Alliance to our office. The day began with conversations over lunch, followed by small group sessions where students met with our attorneys to discuss careers in law. The Alliance’s mission to empower first-generation and underrepresented students by providing access to legal knowledge and opportunities is impactful, and we’re excited to see where their paths lead!