Juvenile Defense Attorneys: A Critical Protection Against Injustice-The Importance of Skilled Juvenile Defenders to Upholding the Due Process Rights of Youth

The defender’s unique challenge is to be the advocate—the voice—of the child. To meet this challenge, and to be able to offer the court the expressed interests of the child, the juvenile defender must master a diverse set of skills to uphold core ethical obligations and to help clients navigate the complexities of the justice system. The juvenile defender trained in the growing body of developmental research and juvenile jurisprudence is well equipped to enforce the client’s due process rights; present the legal case with specific juvenile justice elements; promote accuracy in decision making; provide alternative dispositions for decision makers; and monitor institutional treatment, aftercare, and re-entry.