Right to Counsel
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…
NJDC is proud to partner with the Players Coalition to eliminate barriers to that prevent young people from accessing their constitutional right to counsel.
“What we know is that when access to justice depends on a child’s ability to pay for their own defense, the disparities of class, race, and ethnicity are magnified.”
New England Patriot Devin McCourty and Players Coalition team up with the National Juvenile Defender Center to raise awareness that far too many young people in juvenile court don’t ever get lawyers.
On January 30th, 2019, the Players Coalition Charitable Foundation unveiled its 2019 plan to impact racial and social inequality and also announced its 2018-19 support of six national non-profit organizations at a press conference. Players Coalition Co-Founders Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins presented the Coalition’s direction for the next year. At the press conference, NJDC…
Executive Director, Mary Ann Scali at John Jay College on Young People, Justice, and Defending Children
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…
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,…
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.
A fact sheet highlighting the need for young people to have counsel during interrogation.
An infographic outlining steps towards a more effective juvenile defense system.
The Snapshot is based on a state-by-state analysis of the statutes that govern children’s access to counsel and interviews with juvenile defenders about how statutes and court rules translate into practice. The interviews were conducted with attorneys in urban and rural areas to explore differences in practices and resources. In total, 70 interviews were completed…
Fifty years ago, the United States Supreme Court said that children have fundamental rights in America’s courtrooms. In the nearly five decades since then, the promise of Gault has not been realized. It is time to fulfill that promise. Justice demands that all children in juvenile court have meaningful access to qualified counsel.
Fifty years ago, the United States Supreme Court afforded children fundamental rights in America’s courtrooms. In the nearly five decades since then, the promise of Gault has not been realized. It’s time to fulfill that promise. Justice demands that all children in juvenile court have meaningful access to qualified counsel. As part of our Gault…
