Gault Center Publications
On February 12, 2025, the Gault Center hosted a youth defense and immigration round table, an opportunity for youth defense advocates and immigration experts to share information and advice on how to navigate the current landscape of immigration actions against youth and families. This tip sheet compiles the advice and resources that were shared during…
The Gault Center released a virtual appearance checklist to guide youth defenders through key considerations before seeking a virtual appearance of their client as a youth defense strategy. In recognition that there may be unique circumstances in which a young person may feel safer or more comfortable waiving their physical presence in court, this resource…
This resource highlights research demonstrating the critical importance of community-based alternatives that promote positive youth development and, in turn, public safety. Specifically, this resource outlines a sampling of studies establishing the importance of fresh air and free time; counseling; sports and extracurricular activities; and family, community, spiritual, or other mentorship activities for youth to thrive. This…
On August 29, 2024, the Gault Center hosted a National Youth Defense Townhall focused on the role of youth defenders in transforming the juvenile legal system. The Townhall outlined a theory of change rooted in cultivating critical connections to harness our collective power to transform systems of harm and punishment. In attendance were nearly 200…
This checklist can be used to assess the presence of constitutional violations throughout the course of a client’s case. Please refer to the National Youth Defense Systems Standards and their accompanying User Guide for litigation strategies to challenge potential constitutional violations noted in this checklist.
This User Guide provides advocates with a step-by-step outline of how to actualize the vision of the National Youth Defense System Standards to equip and invest in youth defense teams to fight for the liberation of all youth. The User Guide outlines constitutional rights detailed in the System Standards, provides a checklist to assess the…
The Utah assessment is the 29th statewide assessment of youth defense delivery systems the Gault Center has conducted. These assessments gather information and data about the structure and funding of defense systems and examine whether youth receive counsel at all critical stages, the timing of appointments, waiver of counsel, youth defense resource allocation, supervision and…
These FAQs are intended to clarify the role and obligations of the youth defender in juvenile court.
In 2020, after the District of Columbia Court of Appeals released its decision in In re N.H.M., expanding DC youths’ access to post-disposition counsel, Open City Advocates, which represented N.H.M., contacted the Gault Center to explore how to support the expansion of post-disposition representation in other jurisdictions. We reviewed analyses of post-disposition representation of youth,…
This guide contains the following resources to help interested students and graduates with their career search in the youth defense field: Overview of the Juvenile Legal Process Juvenile Court Terminology Youth Defense Policy and Practice Clinical Programs Public Interest Career Fairs Debt Management and Summer Funding Opportunities Project-Based, Post-Graduate Fellowships Youth Defense Policy and Practice…
Outlines steps that states must take to comply with the minimum requirements of the U.S. Constitution to protect the rights of youth facing deprivations of liberty.
Involvement with the delinquency system—including arrests, charges that get dismissed, and adjudications— can create obstacles to a young person’s success. Many youth experience overwhelming hurdles because their juvenile records are available to the public, appear on background checks, or create long-term debt from fines and fees, which can result in denial of employment, housing, loans,…
Key Points: Testing limits is normal adolescent behavior. Young people act out, make mistakes, and push boundaries largely because the parts of their brains that regulate these behaviors are still being formed. Diverting youth from the legal system by keeping them in school can result in better life outcomes for young people. The legal system…
In February and March 2020, as COVID-19 spread throughout the United States, NJDC recognized a crisis facing youth involved in the juvenile courts and the attorneys tasked with defending them. The contagious nature of COVID-19 and the public health protocols meant to mitigate transmission heightened risks to the health and wellbeing of youth entering the…
Referring young people to the legal system can negatively impact their life outcomes as it excludes them from school, disconnecting them from learning and engaging in prosocial activities. There may be times when schools need to seek assistance from law enforcement, but for the vast majority of situations, a variety of levers exist outside of…
Numerous myths and misconceptions exist about involvement with the juvenile legal system and the effects it can have on a young person’s trajectory to success. Many people have misconceptions about the mostly unrealized benefits of juvenile court, thinking juvenile court is a benevolent system of support that does not lead to longterm negative outcomes. The…
This guide provides information about what obstacles may lie ahead and how to prepare yourself as you move forward with your life after being involved in the juvenile court system. Your juvenile record can affect your life for years to come. But you can still pursue your goals and build a bright future by understanding…
The perspectives of young people with system experience are particularly important in efforts to strengthen and improve juvenile defense advocacy. With the state, prosecutors, victims, witnesses, law enforcement, and probation officers on the other side of the table, youth rely on their defender to hear and honor their voices and ensure they are full participants…
This guide provides information about what obstacles may lie ahead and how to prepare yourself as you move forward with your life after being involved in the juvenile court system. Your juvenile record can affect your life for years to come. But you can still pursue your goals and build a bright future by understanding…
As you move forward with your life after being involved in the juvenile court system, this summary provides information about what obstacles may lie ahead and how to prepare yourself. The court and police paperwork about your juvenile court involvement is called your “juvenile record.” This record can affect your life for years to come.…
This summary provides information about what obstacles may lie ahead and how to prepare yourself as you move forward with your life after being involved in the juvenile court system. Your juvenile record can affect your life for years to come. But you can still pursue your goals and build a bright future by understanding…
To promote justice for all children, the National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC) must actively work to counteract the deeply rooted systemic biases that disproportionately impact Black, Latinx, Asian, Native, Indigenous, and all youth who experience disparate treatment because of their race or ethnicity at every stage of the juvenile legal system.
This bench card is intended to assist judges in considering the consequences of juvenile court involvement that may adversely affect public safety and positive youth development. The bench card is not intended to impinge upon or alter constitutional or statutory responsibilities of the court. Judges and attorneys have different ethical responsibilities but share the goal…
National Juvenile Defender Center Statement on Recent Deaths of Black Americans & Need to Dismantle Systemic Racism release on May 29, 2020
