Publications by Juvenile Law Center

JLC’s publications inform judges, lawyers and all who advocate for children and youth, including children and youth themselves, about juvenile justice and child welfare issues and practices. JLC’s publications provide readers with the best information and research available on a wide-range of subjects, including the right to competent counsel, access to health care and education, confidentiality and use of juvenile records, and federal and state laws, regulations and legal opinions that advise the lives of children who come in contact with the courts and public agencies. Our current publications are described below and are available on pdf or for purchase.

Juvenile Records Expungement

A Guide for Defense Attorneys

Provides juvenile defense attorneys and advocates with information about the accessibility of juvenile records, the lasting consequences of having a juvenile record on file, and the standard process for petitioning the court for an expungement.

Child Abuse and the Law

7th Edition

Familiarizes the professional and the lay reader with Pennsylvania’s child abuse and neglect laws and regulations. Distinguishes between the Juvenile Act and the Child Protective Services Law.

Protecting Youth from Self-Incrimination

Reviews state statutes to determine what safeguards currently exist to protect young people in the juvenile justice system from self-incrimination as a result of screening and assessment programs to identify, evaluate and treat behavioral health disorders

Know Your Rights

A Guide for Dependent Youth in Pennsylvania

Provides youth in Pennsylvania with information about their legal rights in the substitute care system and how they can best advocate for themselves. Also a valuable resource for individuals who work with youth in the foster care system.

Consent to Treatment and Confidentiality Provisions Affecting Minors in Pennsylvania

2nd Edition

Provides a comprehensive overview of federal and state laws and regulations that govern the ability of minors to consent to medical, mental health, and substance abuse testing and treatment.

Pennsylvania: An Assessment of Access to Counsel and Quality of Representation in Delinquency Proceedings

This report on children’s access to counsel and the quality of representation they receive in Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system. Measures against requirements of IJA/ABA Juvenile Justice Standards.

Pennsylvania Judicial Deskbook

4th Edition

A guide to statutes, judicial decisions and recommended practices for cases involving dependent children in Pennsylvania.

Dependent Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

Designed to aid the court in planning for children and youth who have been in the foster care system and who must be equipped to handle the adult world without the supports that families often provide.

Promises Kept, Promises Broken

An Analysis of Children's Right to Counsel in Dependency Hearings in Pennsylvania

Addresses why lawyers for children matter and ways to improve the quality of legal counsel representing children.

Understanding Adolescents

Juvenile Court Training Curriculum

Addresses a variety of topics, including, strategies for interviewing juvenile defendants, obtaining adequate mental health evaluations for accused youth, recognizing and treating children with special education needs, and evaluating youth competence.