JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER : STAFF PROFILES

Ken King, Esq. Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, Fall 2007 & Spring 2008

Pierre Monette, Jr. Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, Fall 2007 & Spring 2008

Pierre Monette, Jr., a graduate of Boston College and the New England School of Law, has supervised and taught students enrolled in the Juvenile Justice Center of Suffolk University Law School since February 1999. Prior to joining the staff of the Juvenile Justice Center, he worked for the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency of Massachusetts. During his seven year tenure with the CPCS, Pierre worked in several units of the agency. He started as an appellate attorney, where he prepared appellate briefs and argued cases before the Massachusetts appellate courts. He worked also as a trial attorney with both the Youth Advocacy Project and the Boston Trial Unit. His areas of expertise are in criminal and juvenile delinquency defense work.

An active leader in the communities of Boston, Pierre has spoken in many arenas locally and nationally. His community involvement includes teaching students in the Martial Art of Tae Kwon Do, of which he has earned the title of Master Instructor, and supporting mentoring of youth at the Dorchester Youth Alternative Academy.

Linda Plonowski, Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Linda Plonowski graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in biology and psychology, followed by a Master's in counseling psychology from Boston College. Linda came to the Juvenile Justice Center in August 2003 from the Department of Mental Health where she most recently worked as a supervisor with the Forensic Transition Team, a program which works with incarcerated adults suffering from chronic mental illness to successfully reintegrate them into the community. Prior to that, Linda was a case manager in the child, adolescent and adult divisions of DMH. She also has experience working with children who have witnessed domestic violence and co-led a therapeutic group program in the greater Lowell area. She has a decade of experience working in various emergency service programs assessing level of care needed by individuals presenting in psychiatric crisis. Linda has been the director of several residential programs for adults who suffer from chronic mental illness, including a high intensity apartment program for individuals who have had difficulty successfully living independently in the community without additional support.

Isabel Raskin, Esq., Education Attorney

Isabel Raskin serves as the education attorney at the Juvenile Justice Center. She supervises law students and represents clients facing long-term school suspensions and expulsions. Isabel has also given lectures and spoken at continuing legal education conferences on such topics as zero tolerance policies, special education eligibility, disciplinary rights of students receiving special education services, and the role of counsel in juvenile matters. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Northeastern University School of Law and she is the 1995 recipient of the Boston Bar Association John G. Brooks Award for outstanding achievement and commitment on behalf of legal services clients.

Lisa Thurau-Gray, Esq., Managing Director and Policy Specialist