Jerry Tello spoke at the Tuesday plenary.

Dignitaries on hand to welcome conference participants included NCJFCJ President Judge Douglas Johnson, Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Parraguirre; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman; and Dean John V. White of the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Video greetings came from Nevada Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign. OJJDP Acting Administrator Jeff Slowikowski addressed participants on Tuesday morning with news of OJJDP’s ongoing focus on collecting and maintaining critical juvenile justice system data, and supporting prevention and intervention efforts in juvenile courts/systems across the nation.

Conference highlights:

Stuart Forsyth with Judges Patricia Macias and Doug Johnson

• Stuart A. Forsyth, The Legal Futurist, encouraged the audience to be aware of changes occurring in society as a whole, not just the justice system, and to “see the possibilities and prepare for the unexpected.” With people increasingly fulfilling their legal needs outside the court, such as through ADR and self-representation, the justice system may be losing its relevance in the eyes of many of its customers. Mr. Forsyth offered these tips for success: never stop learning; dream; and act “beyond your tenure.”
  
  
  
• Jerry Tello, co-founder of the National Compadres Network and director of the National Latino Fatherhood and Family Institute, spoke at the Tuesday morning plenary about the value of all cultures in our lives and how important it is, when working with children, to be aware of their culture, family, history, “and that someone loves them.” Through stories of his own childhood, he emphasized that although cultures may be different, their core values are the same: love and compassion.
• The final plenary featured a discussion with a group of juvenile justice system researchers and experts who addressed the need to bridge research and practice through building collaborative relationships. Speakers included representatives from the National Center for Juvenile Justice and the Vera Institute.

More than 90 workshop sessions focused on topics including: immigration; “crossover youth” involved in the delinquency and child welfare systems; disproportionality; high-conflict families; substance abuse; the effects of domestic violence on children; animal cruelty; the adolescent brain; truancy; and many more.

NCJFCJ would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the conference:

• E. L. Cord Foundation 
• Bill Boyd 
• Irwin Molasky 
• Wells Fargo 
• Jim and Cynthia Richardson