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Developing Statutes for Competence to Stand Trial in Juvenile Delinquency Proceedings: A Guide for Lawmakers

Apr 2, 2012, Kimberly Larson

The purpose of this guide is to assist states in developing legislation that will provide clear assistance for juvenile courts when applying competence to stand trial to juvenile court proceedings.…

National Juvenile Defense Standards

Feb 4, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

The National Juvenile Defense Standards are a comprehensive understanding of the role and duties of the juvenile defender in the 21st century juvenile court system, and seek to strengthen and guide…

Innovation Brief: Raising the Standards of Juvenile Indigent Defense

Dec 1, 2011, Juvenile Law Center

Pennsylvania’s county-based approach to juvenile defense created a patchwork system in which children in some counties received excellent representation while those in other locations did not,…

Juvenile Defense Attorneys: A Critical Protection Against Injustice

Apr 14, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Stakes are high when youth come into contact with the juvenile justice system. When a child’s liberty and freedom are at risk, meaningful access to legal advice and the counsel of a juvenile…

Innovation Brief: Eliminating the Practice of Indiscriminate Shackling of Youth

Dec 12, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

Many youth in custody are forced to appear in court shackled with leg irons, belly chains, and handcuffs. The practice of restraining youth who pose no safety threat unnecessarily humiliates,…

Innovation Brief: Avoiding and Mitigating the Collateral Consequences of a Juvenile Adjudication

Dec 12, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

The majority of youth who come into contact with the juvenile court system have one court contact and never return. And even among those youth who do return to juvenile court, most do not become…

Juvenile Training Immersion Program

Dec 1, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

The role of the juvenile defender is highly complex and specialized, and juvenile defenders have fought hard to keep pace with the times. Since the United States Supreme Court’s 1967 ruling in…

Honoring Gault: Ensuring Access to Counsel in Delinquency Proceedings

Feb 2, 2018, National Juvenile Defender Center and National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

In partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, we released “Honoring Gault: Ensuring Access to Counsel in Delinquency Proceedings,” an information card to…

New Jersey Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist

Dec 15, 2015, National Juvenile Defender Center

The purpose of the New Jersey Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist is to provide attorneys, judges, and other juvenile justice professionals, in addition to youth and their families, with the…

The Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist

Dec 15, 2015, Pennsylvania DMC Youth-Law Enforcement Corporation

This Checklist was developed with assistance from the MacArthur Foundation Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network to help to explain many of the consequences of being arrested as a juvenile in…

Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist (Spanish)

Dec 15, 2015, Pennsylvania DMC Youth-Law Enforcement Corporation

This Checklist was developed with assistance from the MacArthur Foundation Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network to help to explain many of the consequences of being arrested as a juvenile in…

NJDC Summaries: DOJ Actions in Protecting System-Involved Youth

Dec 15, 2015, National Juvenile Defender Center

NJDC's summaries provide key highlights of prominent Department of Justice actions in protecting the rights of youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The summaries cover DOJ's Statement of…

Campaign Against Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling Toolkit

Dec 11, 2015, National Juvenile Defender Center

The Campaign Against Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling (CAIJS), created in August 2014, works across the country to support advocates in their efforts to amend laws, court rules, policies and…

Indefensible: The Lack of Juvenile Defense Data

Jul 23, 2015, Andrew Wachter, Research Associate, NCJJ

NCJJ has released a new StateScan publication that summarizes the results from a review of publicly available data that describe the application of juvenile defense across the country. This StateScan…

Issue Brief: Raising the Bar with Comprehensive Juvenile Indigent Defense Contracts

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Issue Briefs

Issue Brief: Protecting Rights, Promiting Positive Outcomes: Post-Disposition Access to Counsel

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Issue Briefs

Issue Brief: Juvenile Defense Standards: A Framework for the Specialist Representation of Youth

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Issue Briefs

Issue Brief: Juvenile Defense Law School Clinics

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Issue Briefs

Issue Brief: Ending the Indiscriminate Shackling of Youth

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Issue Briefs

Issue Brief: Appeals: A Critical Check on the Juvenile Delinquency System

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Issue Briefs

Unchain the Children: Policy Opportunities to End the Shackling of Youth in Court

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Justice Network

Children in far too many states are forced to appear in court shackled--often wearing handcuffs, leg irons, and belly chains connecting ankle and hand restraints. This policy update reviews…

Resource Brief: What Juvenile Defenders Should Know about the DSM-5

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

What Juvenile Defenders should know abiut tje DSM-5

What Juvenile Defenders should Know About the DSM-5

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Standards

National Juvenile Defender Center: FAQs

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

NJDC

Juvenile Defense Attorneys and Family Engagement: Same Team, Different Roles

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Same Team, Different Rules

Juvenile Defender Self-Assessment Tool for Best Practices in Detention Advocacy

Dec 10, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

This tool is designed to assist juvenile defenders in assessing the quality of their detention advocacy. Defenders should check the box next to each step that they regularly take on behalf of a…

Issue Brief: Using Developmentally Appropriate Language to Communicate with Court-Involved Youth

Dec 8, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Issue Briefs

Issue Brief: Specialist Training: Advancing the Ethical and Professional Representation of Youth

Dec 8, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

Issue Briefs

Innovation Brief: Special Counsel: Enhancing Juvenile Indigent Defense in Washington State

Dec 8, 2014, Center for Children & Youth Justice

When addressing the issue of indigent defense for juvenile respondents in Washington State, an initial reaction was that the cost for needed improvements would be formidable. Reducing caseloads and…

Juvenile Defense Attorneys and Family Engagement: Same Team, Different Roles

Aug 5, 2014, National Juvenile Defender Center

When a child gets arrested, the entire family is implicated and some family members are even brought into the juvenile court process along with that child. For families, this can be a difficult and…

2013 Washington State Targeted Areas of Improvement & Strategic Opportunity for Technical Assistance Data Inventory

Apr 1, 2014, Andrew Wachter, Gene Siegel, Hunter Hurst

The 2013 Washington Targeted Areas of Improvement Report is the final in a series of data inventory reports that document Washington Models for Change progress and outcomes. This Endpoints Edition…

Innovation Brief: Addressing the Legal Needs of Youth After Disposition

Dec 12, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

In most instances, legal representation for a youth ends at disposition, leaving youth on their own to navigate continuing legal obligations while on probation and even while incarcerated. This often…

Innovation Brief: Model Juvenile Court Colloquies

Dec 12, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

Despite the rehabilitative nature we ascribe to the juvenile justice system, research indicates that when young people are in court, surrounded by authority figures, they are often frightened or…

Innovation Brief: Early Appointment of Counsel

Dec 12, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

The timing of the appointment of counsel can have as much of an impact on the outcome of a case as whether an attorney is appointed at all. Having a qualified juvenile defender present, at the…

Innovation Brief: Judicial Colloquies: Communicating with Kids in Court

Dec 12, 2013, Rosa Peralta and George Yeannakis

Juvenile offenders are customarily required to comply with a lengthy list of rules imposed by a judge or juvenile probation counselor. Failures to comply, even those of a technical nature that result…

The Affordable Care Act and Its Effects on Juvenile Defense

Dec 10, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

Fact Sheets

Ten Reasons to Ask Clients About Citizenship

Dec 10, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

Fact Sheets

Juvenile Defense Manager-Supervisor Tool for Best Practices in Detention Advocacy

Dec 10, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

Fact Sheets

Frequently Asked Questions for Juvenile Defenders - PREA

Dec 10, 2013, National Juvenile Defender Center

Fact Sheets

Washington Know Your Rights - Graphic Guide

Dec 1, 2013, TeamChild; Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership; Children and Family Justice Center, Northwestern University S

Juvenile Justice GPS StateScan: Juvenile Competency Procedures

Dec 1, 2013, National Center for Juvenile Justice

Checklist - Consequences of Juvenile Adjudications in Massachusetts

Nov 14, 2013, Committee for Public Services-Youth Advocacy Division

This checklist is for juvenile defenders to use when advising their clients. Listed are some of the common consequences juveniles face when adjudicated.

When Three's a Crowd: How Families Can Contribute to their Child's Defense

Jun 17, 2013, National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN)

How can parents help when their child is in trouble with the law? What do juvenile defenders need to know about how to protect the child's interest when it comes to including parents in the…

The Florida Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist

May 21, 2013, Juvenile Justice Center

The purpose of the Florida Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist is to provide attorneys, judges, and other juvenile justice professionals with the most current information available on the…

Florida New Juvenile Defender Attorney Manual

May 21, 2013, Juvenile Justice Center

The 1820s and 1830s saw the first establishment of special institutions for children in the United States. These “Houses of Refuge” accepted children for a variety of reasons, including…

Florida Guidelines of Practice

May 21, 2013, Juvenile Justice Center

All children charged with delinquent acts have a constitutional right to legal representation. In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 30-31, 37 (1967), State v. T.G., 800 So.2d 204, 210 (Fla. 2001). These…

Six Policy Priorities for Juvenile Defense: Why Juvenile Defense Doesn't End in the Courtroom

May 1, 2013, National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN)

Juvenile defenders can and should play a vital role in policy and justice system reform -- and advocates can partner with them to accomplish significant changes that affect youth in the court room…

JIDAN Journal

Dec 19, 2012, NJDC

The JIDAN Journal reports on efforts by the Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network (JIDAN) to improve juvenile indigent defense practice. JIDAN is a project of the John D. and Catherine T.…

The Harmful Use of Isolation in Juvenile Facilities: The Need for Post-Disposition Representation

Dec 1, 2012, Washington University Journal of Law & Policy; Models for Change Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network

Innovation Brief: Mental Health Needs and Due Process Rights: Finding the Balance

Nov 30, 2012, Autumn Dickman, Juvenile Law Center

Models for Change sites have launched a variety of initiatives to identify and treat justice involved youths with mental health and substance abuse problems. They include screening and assessment…

Seven Ways to Improve Juvenile Indigent Defense

Nov 5, 2012, National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN)

In recent years, a great deal of work has been undertaken across the country to improve juvenile indigent defense. This policy update from the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) reviews key…

Competency to Stand Trial in Juvenile Court: Recommendations for Policymakers

Nov 1, 2012, National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN)

How do courts determine when a youth is competent to stand trial? What do they do if a youth is found "incompetent" for court proceedings? Most states lack statutory guidance to answer these…

Using Language in Court That Youth Can Understand: the Washington Judicial Colloquies

Oct 31, 2012, TeamChild

When youth end up in court, they are often confused and uncertain about the purpose of the proceedings, and what's expected of them when they leave. Why? Because much of the language used there by…

Guidelines for State Courts Serving Limited English Proficient (LEP) Youth and Family Members-Short Fact Sheet

May 2, 2012, Dana Shoenberg

Good communication and cultural understanding are prerequisites to a fair, efficient, and effective justice system. Navigating the juvenile justice system is often difficult for youth and their…

LGBT Youth in Juvenile Court: Practice Tips for Juvenile Defenders

Dec 1, 2011, Equity Project

EdLaw Project: Top Ten Education Questions to Ask Your Client at Arraignment

Nov 10, 2011, Rey Cheatham Banks

A Massachusetts checklist for arraignment issues in juvenile court.

JIDAN Strategic Innovations by State

Nov 10, 2011, Rey Cheatham Banks

A description of the states strategic innovations work.

Illinois Juvenile Defender Practice Notebook

Nov 10, 2011, Rey Cheatham Banks

The Illinois Juvenile Defender Practice Notebook assists defenders who practice in one of the most rewarding and yet most challenging areas of law – juvenile defense.

Youth Advocacy Department, Annotated Bibliography: What the Literature Says About Juvenile Sex Offenders

Nov 10, 2011, Rey Cheatham Banks

The following articles, fact sheets, and studies have been compiled to assist attorneys and individuals working on behalf of youth charged with sexual offending. The information contained in these…

Protocol for Competence in California Juvenile Justice Proceedings

Nov 10, 2011, Rey Cheatham Banks

This protocol is intended as a tool for the development of such procedures in cases where competence may be an issue. It incorporates Supreme Court and California case law, and existing statutory…

Florida Guidelines for Attorneys who Represent Children in Delinquency Proceedings

Nov 9, 2011, Rob Mason

These guidelines address the specific roles and responsibilities of an attorney appointed or retained to defend a child in a delinquency case. They are intended to serve as a guide for an…

Washington Defender Association, Beyond Juvenile Court: Long-Term Impact of a Juvenile Record

Nov 9, 2011, www.defensenet.org, WDA@defensenet.org

The information in this booklet is intended for use by public defense attorneys, their juvenile clients, and their clients’ parents in Washington State. It is not comprehensive. It is meant as…

Youth Advocacy Department, Courtroom Practice Guide to Bail, MGLc.276 s58

Nov 9, 2011, Rey Cheatham Banks

A Massachusetts guide for bail proceedings in juvenile court.

Your Guide to the Juvenile Justice System in Illinois

Nov 9, 2011, Marjorie Moss

An illustrated guide for youth in contact with the juvenile justice system in Illinois.

Summary of Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist

Nov 9, 2011, Rhonda McKitten

A synopsis of the essential collateral consequences of a juvenile adjudication in a large, easy to read poster format.

Ten Core Principles: For Providing Quality Delinquency Representation Through Public Defense Delivery System

Nov 9, 2011, Rey Cheatham Banks

NJDC's Ten Core Principles for Providing Quality Delinquency Representation through Public Defense Delivery Systems provide criteria by which a public defense delivery system may fully implement the…

The Pennsylvania Juvenile Defense Notebook

Oct 3, 2011, PA JIDAN Team

The Pennsylvania Juvenile Defense Notebook is a comprehensive training tool for both new and experienced attorneys who defend children accused of delinquent offenses. The Notebook includes caselaw,…

Performance Guidelines For Quality and Effective Juvenile Delinquency Representation

May 6, 2011, Rey Cheatham Banks

The Guidelines serve as a training and development tool for new attorneys who receive delinquency representation assignments. They also reaffirm for experienced counsel the considerations necessary…

Collateral Consequences of Juvenile Delinquency Proceedings in California

May 1, 2011, Sue Burrell and Rourke F. Stacy

A handbook for juvenile law professionals on the consequences of juvenile system involvement and adjudication.

Guidelines for State Courts Serving Limited English Proficient (LEP) Youth and Family Members-Long Fact Sheet

Mar 11, 2011, Dana Shoenberg

Good communication and cultural understanding are prerequisites to a fair, efficient, and effective justice system. Navigating the juvenile justice system is often difficult for youth and their…

JIDAN (Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network) Journal

Dec 21, 2010, Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network

2010 has been an eventful year for the Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network. The eight JIDAN teams have generated an impressive body of work. We've celebrated births (Anne Lee from Washington…

JIDAN Journal

Sep 14, 2010, Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network

The JIDAN Journal reports on efforts by the Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network (JIDAN) to improve juvenile indigent defense practice. JIDAN is a project of the John D. and Catherine T.…

Juvenile Justice Update

Aug 6, 2010, H. Ted Rubin

The Legal Defense of Juveniles: Struggling But Pushing Forward

Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist

May 24, 2010, This publication was cooperative effort on the part of numerous Models for Change partners across Pennsylvania. A complete list of contributing authors is available on the last page of the publication.

The purpose of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist is to provide attorneys, judges and other juvenile justice professionals with the most up to date information available on…

Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist

May 24, 2010, This poster was made possible through the collaborative work of many Models for Change partners across Pennsylvania. Please see the Checklist publication for a complete list of contributing authors.

The purpose of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist is to provide attorneys, judges and other juvenile justice professionals with the most up to date information available on…

Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice Report on Luzerne County

May 1, 2010, Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice

The Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice was created in 2009 by an act of the General Assembly with the support of the Governor and the Supreme Court. Its purpose was to investigate…

The Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist

May 1, 2010, Rhonda McKitten

The purpose of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist (Checklist) is to provide attorneys, judges and other juvenile justice professionals with the most current information…

The Cost of Justice: How Low-Income Youth Continue To Pay the Price of Failing Indigent Defense Systems

Apr 7, 2010, Katayoon Majd and Patricia Puritz

From the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law & Policy, Volume XVI, Symposium Issue 2009: No right is more fundamental for youth in delinquency cases than the right to counsel. In 1967, the United…

JIDAN Journal - March 2010

Mar 17, 2010, Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network

Welcome to the March edition of the JIDAN Journal. Since our last edition, the JIDAN teams have been busy implementing SIG projects and sharing strategies and practices.

Juvenile Delinquency: The Case for Specialty Training

Jan 20, 2010, Sue Burrell

Each year, more than 100,000 young people in California face juvenile court delinquency petitions alleging violations of the law - more than in any other state. Most are represented by an attorney -…

JIDAN Journal - December 2009

Dec 23, 2009, Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network

Thanks to all JIDAN team members who attended the 13th Annual Juvenile Defender Leadership Summit in Denver. JIDAN played a prominent role in this year's summit activities as we were able to share…

Florida Supreme Court Drastically Limits Shackling - In Re: Amendments to the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure

Dec 17, 2009, Provided by National Juvenile Defender Center

Attached is the Florida Supreme Court's opinion authorizing changes to the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure. The most important change is the Court's finding that indiscriminate shackling of…

Hidden Injustice- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Juvenile Courts

Oct 16, 2009, Katayoon Majd, Jody Marksamer and Carolyn Reyes

Hidden Injustice is the first comprehensive report to examine the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth in juvenile courts nationwide. LGBT youth comprise a significant…

Charged With a Crime Brochure

May 1, 2009, Southern Juvenile Defender Center and Barry University

If you've been charged with a crime, don't go it alone. Talk to a lawyer. If you don't, you might regret it for the rest of your life.

In the Interest of P.M.P.

Apr 17, 2009, RUTGERS URBAN LEGAL CLINIC, RUTGERS SCHOOL OF LAW—NEWARK, NATIONAL JUVENILE DEFENDER CENTER, AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NEW JERSEY, CHILDREN’S JUSTICE CENTER, RUTGERS SCHOOL OF LAW—CAMDEN, NORTHEAST JUVENILE DEFENDER CENTER

This amicus brief, filed by the Rutgers Urban Legal Clinic, the National Juvenile Defender Center, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, the Rutgers School of Law's Children's Justice…

NEW HOPE FOUND IN PRACTICE STANDARDS

Jan 5, 2009, Laura Cohen

Since Gault, juvenile justice reform projects--and there have been many-- largely have ignored the question of effective assistance of counsel. The perfect storm of the Gault anniversary and the…

Role of Juvenile Defense Counsel in Delinquency Court

Jan 1, 2009, National Juvenile Defender Center

This policy paper describes the critical and specialized role of the juvenile defender and reflects best practices as defined by the field—front-line defenders, social workers, academics, and…

Adolescent Legal Competence in Court

Jan 1, 2009, MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice

This brief details findings from the first comprehensive assessment of juvenile capacities to participate in criminal proceedings using measures of both trial-related abilities an developmental…

The Illinois Juvenile Defender Practice Notebook

Dec 1, 2008, Children and Family Justice National Juvenile Defender Center and Center of the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern School of Law

Note, the download link above provides a cover image—at this time the Notebook is only available to registered users of the Illinois Juvenile Defender Resource Institute website. In December…

Illinois Side by Side Assessment Recommendations

Oct 2, 2008, National Juvenile Detention Center

This document summarizes issues, solutions and recommendation identified in the Illinois assessment.

Washington Side by Side Assessment Recommendations

Oct 2, 2008, National Juvenile Defender Center

This document summarizes issues, solutions and recommendations identified in the WA Assessment.

Illinois: An Assessment of Access to Counsel & Quality of Representation in Delinquency Proceedings

Sep 13, 2007, Children and Family Justice Center, Bluhm Legal Clinic, Northwestern University School of Law and The National Juvenile Defender Center

Forty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision: In In re Gault, the Court ruled that children accused of delinquent acts are entitled to the protections of due process of law,…

Keystones for Reform: Promising Juvenile Justice Policies and Practices in Pennsylvania

Oct 12, 2005, Youth Law Center, Neelum Aryna, Eric Lotke, Liz Ryan, Marc Schindler, Dana Shoenberg, Mark Soler

The first state report for the Models for Change initiative, this report describes promising juvenile justice policies and practices in Pennsylvania that provide a solid base for further reform…

Assessment of Access to Counsel and Quality of Representation in Delinquency Proceedings in Pennsylvania

Oct 1, 2003, Juvenile Law Center and American Bar Association Juvenile Justice Center

This report is an assessment of children’s access to counsel and the quality of representation they receive in Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system. The report's findings are based on…

Understanding Adolescents: A Juvenile Court Training Curriculum

Jun 1, 2000, Youth Law Center, Juvenile Law Center, American Bar Association

Understanding Adolescents: A Juvenile Court Training Curriculum, training materials for juvenile justice professionals, was funded by the MacArthur Foundation as a joint project of the Youth Law…

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