ABA Annual Meeting 2015: Combating the Criminalization of Homelessness

Homeless people have legal problems that most of us don’t. They get in trouble for sitting on sidewalks, sleeping in the park, and their inability to pay fines. These seemingly small infractions can be crippling for a person clawing their way out of poverty. With over a million homeless in the United States and so many others a paycheck away from the same fate, what can lawyers do to help?

Legal Talk Network producer Laurence Colletti discusses these issues and much more with Casey Trupin from Columbia Legal Services, Brandon Smith from Nelson Mullins, and Jeremy Rosen the Executive Director at the ACLU of Iowa. Together they talk about causes of homelessness, the homeless courts, and a focus on treatment rather than punishment. Tune in to learn about the cycle of poverty and how you can make a difference.

Casey Trupin is the Coordinating Attorney for the Children and Youth Project for Columbia Legal Services in Washington State. He advocates for children and youth as well as works with the ABA on the Commission on Homelessness and Poverty.

Brandon Smith is an associate of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP. He practices in the Firm’s Columbia office in the areas of products liability, commercial litigation, premises liability, environmental litigation, and class action.

Jeremy Rosen is the Executive Director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa. Prior to that he worked as the Director of Advocacy for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty and the Executive Director for the National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness.

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