PERFORMANCE GUIDELINES FOR JUVENILE REPRESENTATION IN DELINQUENCY PROCEEDINGS
On April 21, 2017, the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas
adopted the Performance Guidelines for Juvenile Representation in
Delinquency Proceedings, following a review process that incorporated
the feedback of practitioners and several bar committees. Drafted by the
State Bar of Texas Standing Committee on Legal Services to the Poor in
Criminal Matters, the guidelines seek to encourage attorneys who
represent juveniles in delinquency proceedings to provide zealous
representation. The guidelines are also intended to alert counsel to
courses of action that may be necessary, advisable, or appropriate in
order to provide a juvenile client the best representation possible and
to provide a measure by which the performance of individual attorneys
may be evaluated, and to assist in training and supervising attorneys.
The committee appreciates the work of the bar, and the board of
directors is confident that these supplementary guidelines will elevate
the quality of representation of juveniles in delinquency proceedings in
Texas.
—Standing Committee on Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal
Matters
To read the performance guidelines, go to texasbar.com/performanceguidelines.
