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

Quality legal representation informed by social science research and best practices is integral to ensuring the fair administration of justice in the juvenile delinquency system. The importance of a youth’s access to knowledgeable, well-resourced juvenile indigent defense counsel cannot be overstated. The prevalence of lowbid, flat-fee contracting schemes for court-appointed and contract juvenile indigent defense counsel undermines the provision of quality representation by encouraging contract attorneys to provide minimal time, effort, and resources to their juvenile cases to maximize profits. The development and implementation of comprehensive juvenile indigent defense contracts is crucial to regulating and ensuring the provision of quality representation for youth in the juvenile delinquency system.