First-year CHASS student Cayden Brown (Criminal Justice major) recently had the distinguished opportunity to guest lecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Dr. Lynette Nicole Tannis’s course, “Educating Incarcerated Youth—Practice, Research, Policy, and Advocacy.” Cayden is Executive Director of The Trespass Project that leverages modern technology to help youth globally access their legal systems. Drawing on his work as a juvenile defender, Cayden led students through a legal examination of the systemic exclusion of youth from adjudicatory power. His session explored the origins of the juvenile court system, landmark Supreme Court cases that expand the rights of young people, and today’s recidivism-reducing, Teen Court–centered approaches, positioning Teen Courts as an alternative model for resolving minor offenses.
Cayden expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity, calling it “the invitation of a lifetime,” and thanked Dr. Tannis for welcoming him into the classroom. He looks forward to delivering this lecture at UDM during Black History Month in 2026.