A.M. v. Holmes Amicus Brief

Amicus brief filed with US Supreme Court in A.M. v. Holmes, challenging the arrest of a 13 year old New Mexico boy for “fake burping” and laughing in class (criminalizing normal behavior)

SJ Mercury News Article on SB 838

Article discusses controversial bill SB 838 “Audrie’s Law” which would create a new crime for “sexting”, reduce confidentiality in juvenile court hearings, and expand the number of juveniles tried in the adult criminal system. The article quotes YLC Staff Attorney Sue Burrell,

Juvenile Defense Attorneys Speak Out

Daily Journal article that explores the special skills and training needed to represent young people in California juvenile delinquency cases, and the reasons competent representation is so critical.

Shifting Values in Juvenile Justice – Daily Journal (December 21, 2010)

This is an op ed piece summing up juvenile justice reform in the first part of the 21st century. It takes the position that we are moving away from the punitive attitudes of the 1980’s and 1990’s and toward a vision for juvenile justice that is more in keepiing with what we now know about […]

Juvenile Defense Attorneys Speak Out – Daily Journal (January 15, 2010)

This is the second part of a two part piece on training and resource needs for California juvenile delinquency counsel. In this part, juvenile defense counsel describe their resource and training needs, which are substantial. The information was obtained through surveys conducted as part of the MacArthur Foundation’s JUvenile Indigent Deense Action Network. YLC led […]

Juvenile Delinquency: The Case for Specialty Training – Daily Journal (January 14, 2010)

This is part one of a two part piece published in the Daily Journal. It describes the importance of having skilled, knowledgeable juvenile delinquency counsel, and presents the results of research undertaken for the MacArthur Juvenile Inidgent Defense Action Network aimed at increasing the capacity of California juvenile defenders. The research revealed enormous gaps and […]