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Celebrating 50 Years of Juvenile Law Center

Reflections from Marsha Learn More

Juvenile Law Center fights for rights, dignity, equity, and opportunity for youth. We work to reduce the harm of the child welfare and justice systems, limit their reach, and ultimately abolish them so all young people can thrive.

Youth Justice

Each year, juvenile courts nationwide hear approximately 800,000 cases. Young people need experienced, dedicated advocates to fight for them in courts, legislatures, and city halls.

Children in Prison

Solitary confinement is nothing short of state-sanctioned child abuse. Strip searches and shackling are inhumane. No child deserves this treatment.

Foster Care

Over 430,000 youth are in foster care, and around 20,000 young adults “age out” of care without permanent family connections. They deserve better from the institutions meant to support them.

Youth Advocacy

Our youth advocates effect change through advocacy, media outreach, and public education. Their expertise and lived experiences are critical to informing policy reform.

SUPPORT OUR LITIGATION

Jonathan W. Cuneo Children's Rights Litigation Fund
Resource Spotlight

Racial Justice Amicus and Appellate Strategies
Resource Spotlight

Access our Youth Advocacy Toolkit

Celebrate a Legacy

On May 2, 2025 we celebrated our 50th Anniversary with 600 friends, colleagues and supporters - joined together to reflect on our 50 years, look ahead to the future, pay tribute to Bob Schwartz, and honor the legacy of Marsha Levick.

VISIT OUR 50TH EVENT PAGE HERE Celebrating 50 Years Leading the Fight for Children's Rights
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The Legacy of Harm of Mandated Reporting

The child welfare system purports to protect children but it inflicts physical, emotional, and mental pain on families caught in its web. In 2020, 215,000 children were removed from their homes and placed in foster care. Twenty-five percent of those children were Black, yet Black children only account for approximately 14% of the youth population in the United States. This disparity is a continuation of a long history of controlling and separating Black families in the United States.

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50 Years of Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline

Over and over again, the juvenile legal, criminal legal, and family regulation/child welfare systems pull children out of school and then deny them a quality education. Since its founding in 1975, Juvenile Law Center has fought against these harmful practices.
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Acting for Freedom

John Lewis taught us that "Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take.” For youth justice advocates, what does acting for freedom look like right now?