Juvenile Defense Law School Clinics: Building Leaders, Client Capacity, and Innovation

Youth involved in delinquency proceedings are constitutionally entitled to have highly competent lawyers represent them at every critical stage of the case. To provide this high-level representation, defense attorneys who work in juvenile court should receive specialized training: they should be familiar with the juvenile court process and the role of the juvenile defender, the unique needs and characteristics of child and adolescent clients, and standards and best practices for navigating the complexities of the juvenile court system. To date, too few attorneys are sufficiently trained in the specialized practice of juvenile defense, and there is a critical need to fill this gap and create a corps of excellence in the practice.