Justice, Not Judgment: Effective and Ethical Legal Representation of Clients who Use Controlled Substances
Description
Date/Time: 7/24/25 1:30 – 3 pm
IN PERSON – Innovation Lab, 1310 Prairie, 16th Floor
This CLE will equip attorneys with practical tools and insights to more effectively represent clients who struggle with substance use. With a focus on client-centered representation, public health principles, and ethics, we will discuss evidence-based approaches to improve attorney-client communication, understand the impact of substance use on our clients’ lives and cases, and advocate for non-abstinence-based alternatives in the courtroom. The training will also address racial inequities in the War on Drugs as well as the overdose epidemic, and it will conclude with a demonstration of how to use opioid overdose prevention drugs, known as Naloxone or Narcan.
Speaker: Skye Fredericks has been involved in the harm-reduction movement for many years now. She graduated from Rice University, where she worked with the Baker Institute for Public Policy to analyze overdose data from the Texas Medical Examiners and map naloxone access in Harris County. Prior to that, Skye trained extensively on overdose response and provided front-line services to people who smoke and/or inject drugs in the Skid Row neighborhood of Los Angeles through an organization called The Sidewalk Project. In her current role as a Client Advocate at the Harris County Public Defender’s Office, Skye supports indigent people accused of crimes in Harris County by providing a wide variety of social services, and she continues her involvement in the harm-reduction movement across the country.