Checklist for Reviewing Juvenile Competency Reports and Preparing for Trial

Categories: , ,

Courtesy of Dr. Antoinette Kavanaugh

An Overview of Youth Rights in Facilities

Categories: , ,

The Gault Ctr. (October 2023). This resource provides an overview of the constitutional and federal laws that are implicated when young people are placed in juvenile or adult facilities and includes concrete examples of common violations. This resource offers an introduction for youth defenders on how to spot federal and constitutional violations based on conditions…

Motion to Dismiss REDACTED speedy trial competency de minimus

Categories: , ,

I.N. respectfully requests that this Court dismiss the above-captioned matter with prejudice pursuant to the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Maine, on the grounds that the State has violated I.N.’s right to a speedy trial by failing to conduct a competency evaluation within twenty-one days of the Court’s order, as is required by…

Making the Case for Young Clients: Supreme Court Quotes for Bolstering Juvenile Defense Advocacy

Categories: , ,

This brief highlights the United States Supreme Court’s most important language in landmark cases about young people’s rights. These quotes can be used to bolster the arguments and pleadings of juvenile defense attorneys and advocates as they defend youth caught in the legal system.

Juvenile Facilities Checklist For Defenders: Advocating for the Safety and Well-Being of Young People

Categories: , ,

Youth facing time in both secure and non-secure facilities need vigilant advocates who can monitor the conditions of these facilities, and can either prevent the young person’s placement, limit the young person’s length of time in placement, and/or intervene on the young person’s behalf while they are at the placement. Juvenile defenders are ethically bound…

The Court Got It Wrong: Presenting & Winning on Your Theory of Appeal

Categories: , ,

Juvenile Defender Post-Disposition Practice Tool

Categories: , ,

Heavy workloads and the culture in many courts can make it difficult for juvenile defenders to stay connected to clients post-disposition. Even after disposition in juvenile court, young people face legal issues that affect — and often threaten — their liberty, their safety, their due process and civil rights, and their access to future opportunities.…

A Developmental Framework for Juvenile Disposition and Post-Disposition Advocacy

Categories: , ,

An infographic outlining strategies for post-disposition advocacy.

Unlocking Youth: Strong Juvenile Defense

Categories: ,

The Use of Juvenile Statements Made in Uncounseled Interviews, Assessments, and Evaluations: A Survey of National Practices

Categories: , ,

As stakeholders in the juvenile justice system try to reconcile the due process rights of children with the rehabilitative goal of the juvenile justice system, an understanding of the vast array of approaches being used may be helpful. To that end, NJDC has compiled this survey of statutes and cases from around the country that…

ABA Waiver Resolution and Report

Categories: ,

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

Categories: , ,

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 typical client. Upon completion of the checklist, defenders should review their answers to self-identify any gaps in their detention advocacy.