Providing Legal Support Services for Juvenile Clients Workshop
Law students from Chiang Mai University and from four Australian universities—Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, Southern Cross University, and The University of Newcastle—took part in an interactive, immersive workshop on providing legal support services for juvenile clients, which was held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 29–30 November 2025. The program was co-organized by BABSEACLE and White & Case in partnership with the Chiang Mai University Faculty of Law.
The workshop aimed to develop students’ understanding, abilities, and skills regarding the standard ethical and practical legal representation of children in judicial proceedings in the jurisdiction in which they practice, to ensure that the welfare and the rights of children are safeguarded and that there is appropriate interaction with children.
Topics consisted of preliminary considerations in the initial stages of legal assistance and determining who is the client, building a relationship with juvenile clients, trauma and its impact on juvenile clients, legal ethics, privacy and confidentiality, conflict of interest, and working with others to support, protect and promote the best interests of juvenile clients.
The program started with a brief workshop-history introduction from Bruce Lasky, Co-Director of BABSEACLE, and with the firm’s inspirational pro bono and access to justice work addressed by Kaya Proudian, Partner at White & Case, followed by welcome remarks from Asst. Prof. Dr. Kitpatchara Somanawat, Associate Dean for Student Quality Development of the Chiang Mai University Faculty of Law.
Through training sessions led by the White & Case teams from the Singapore and Australia offices, students were exposed to realistic hypothetical case studies grounded in holistic legal advocacy, and were able to participate in dynamic discussions and navigate the complexities of cases involving juvenile clients.
