Recent news

The following testimony was written and will be read by Juvenile Law Center's Youth Fostering Change and Juveniles for Justice Youth Advocates on April 8th at a virtual hearing on the need for a Philadelphia independent youth ombudsperson.

An “Ombudsperson” can be defined as someone who acts on behalf of another as a “protector against oppressive
measures by the government.” Today, “ombudsperson” has taken on a broader ‘public watchdog’ or ‘citizen
defender’ meaning.

The following testimony was written and will be read by Juvenile Law Center's Youth Fostering Change and Juveniles for Justice Youth Advocates on April 8th at a virtual hearing on the need for a Philadelphia independent youth ombudsperson.

The following testimony was written and will be read by Juvenile Law Center's Youth Fostering Change and Juveniles for Justice Youth Advocates on April 8th at

A bipartisan bill to end Virginia’s juvenile “pay to stay” practice, which requires families to pay incarceration fees to the state while their children are

PHILADELPHIA, PA (March 8, 2021) — Today, Juvenile Law Center, the nation’s first public interest law firm for children's rights, is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2021 Leadership Prize. The organization’s annual Leadership Prize is awarded to outstanding individuals working in any field – law, government, the arts, media, entertainment, sports, business, or any other sector – who are fighting for the rights and well-being of youth in the child welfare and justice systems.

The coronavirus pandemic has upended education in schools across the country as many students have been forced to learn remotely, sometimes without access to reliable internet or adequate technology. These conditions have made it much harder for all students to effectively learn, but one population has been hit especially hard: young people taking classes inside prisons.

“If the attorney for the 14-year-old Manheim Township girl charged as an adult in the stabbing death of her older sister tries to have her case moved to juvenile court, she will face an almost impossible task,” LNP | LancasterOnline’s Dan Nephin reported in Sunday’s edition.

Across the country, our municipal court system is targeting kids for behaving like kids. Young people are policed, ticketed, and fined for age-appropriate behavior such as violating curfews, loitering, and underage drinking. These violations can push young people into the justice system and send their families spiraling into debt.