3/8/06

In an effort to make information about the legal system accessible to juveniles, the State Bar of Michigan Committee on Justice Initiatives and its Equal Access Initiative is distributing an "Information on Family Legal Issues" compact disc to hundreds of organizations around the state that have contact with young people and their families.

The free resource is presented in easily understandable language for teenagers, parents, teachers and counselors, and includes legal information on topics like arrests, adoption, abuse and neglect, and medical treatment. Electronic links to court forms, a complete listing of family courts in Michigan, and other helpful websites are also included in this comprehensive resource.

State Bar of Michigan President Thomas Cranmer observed that, "Lawyers are well aware that inexperience, combined with an incomplete education, peer pressure, and lack of maturity, often causes teenagers to underestimate the legal ramifications of their conduct." He stressed that the new resource was "one way of helping young people and their families learn more about their rights and responsibilities, and the potentially serious consequences of the choices they make."

The information on the disc can be viewed and printed from the Internet at www.michiganequalaccess.org. A free copy of the disc is being distributed to organizations, and additional copies can be purchased online for $10. Please contact Judy Hershkowitz at 800-968-1442, extension 6335, or jhershkowitz@mail.michbar.org for more information.