Legal experts to meet in N.O. about criminal indigent defense

New Orleans CityBusiness, Apr 1, 2008 by Reports

Legal experts from around the country are scheduled to discuss the challenges of criminal defense for Louisianians who can't afford it during a symposium at Loyola University New Orleans.

Loyola's College of Law's Public Interest Law Journal is sponsoring the symposium from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Friday in the law college's Room 112.

The event is free and open to the public. Attending attorneys can earn 6.25 hours of continuing legal education credit without charge.

Featured will be experts from Loyola's College of Law, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, Southern Center for Human Rights and the Harvard Criminal Justice Institute.

Topics the experts will discuss include the changes likely to result from recent reforms enacted by the Louisiana Legislature, challenges that remain and further reform efforts that may improve the state of indigent defense.

"The issue is critical for Louisiana," said Isabel Medina, associate professor of law at Loyola and one of the event moderators. "According to the Louisiana Justice Coalition, about 90 percent of all criminal defendants in Louisiana are indigent."

For a schedule and more information, go to http://law.loyno.edu/ documents/announcementsymposiumcrimind.pdf or contact Jessica Howard at jkhoward@loyno.edu or 861-5558.