Life's Quirks
The juvenile courthouse on 700 West lacked any architectural psychology to reinforce that you were entering a hall of justice. The single story building sat indistinguishable from the manufacturing district around it. The sign out front labeled courthouse did little to instill a sense of awe or respect. If you needed privacy, this was not the place to come. The building offered no conference rooms or private areas for lawyers, social workers, families, and the accused to discuss sensitive issues like sexual and physical abuse, illicit substance use, accusations of criminal conduct and other personal matters. Despite its failings, it was the very simplicity of the the building on 700 West that allowed me to participate in a conversation that I remember almost every day. I find it difficult to overstate the influence that conversation has exerted on my life. I had been speaking to a client in her native Spanish. After we finished, and while waiting for my next hearing, a 26-year old ...