Community Juveniles to Benefit from Law Student Fellowship

Colleen Wisdom, a third-year law student, competed with more than 300 other applicants nationwide to receive the 2008-2010 Equal Justice Works Fellowship.

Wisdom will use this grant to institute a program she created which focuses on helping juvenile offenders afflicted with learning, emotional and developmental disabilities receive the special education needed to succeed.

“Juveniles involved in the court system have a disproportionate number of disabilities, and we know teenagers with disabilities learn differently than those without,” Wisdom said.

“In a pro-punishment state like Texas, if I can help the community focus on rehabilitation through educational success and more creative ways to handle court-involved juveniles with disabilities, then the project has worked.”

From Courtroom to Classroom

According to Wisdom, children who experience incarceration or other forms of punishment have a difficult time transitioning back into the school system.

"If teens aren’t in school, they are bored and on the streets. If we can help children succeed in school and provide the education they are entitled to, we decrease the number of repeat offenses," said Wisdom.

Wisdom believes teaching the differences between a child with disabilities and a child who learns at a regular rate to officers, school teachers, families of offenders and defense attorneys, will make correcting this behavior more successful.

Representing Texas Tech

Law professor Jennifer Bard says Wisdom’s program reflects her desire to help individuals and improve the overall quality of community life.

“Throughout her career at the law school, Colleen has demonstrated her commitment to people with disabilities and shown the kind of top academic, leadership and advocacy skills which make all of us in the Health Law Program so proud of her,” Bard said. “I’m delighted that she was selected to launch her project.  She is an example of everything we hope for in our students.”

Wisdom takes pride in Texas Tech and cherishes the opportunity to represent the School of Law nationally.           

“Being the first Texas Tech law student to receive this fellowship, I hope it sheds light on the fact that our school produces a wonderfully diverse graduating class every year.” Wisdom said. “Fellows in the past have come from some of the top law schools in the country and networking with these professionals and representing Texas Tech on a national level is important to the school and its reputation.”

 

Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing, (806) 742-2136.