The Gault Center

The Gault Center believes that a strong youth defense delivery system is a vital mechanism for ensuring that:

• All children in the legal system have ready and timely access to skilled, well-resourced, well-trained lawyers.

• All children are afforded full protection of their constitutional, statutory, and human rights.

• All children receive legal representation that is client-centered, individualized, developmentally and age-appropriate, and free of bias.

• All children have opportunities to attain their potential to become productive members of society.

• For these reasons, The Gault Center believes that the youth defense bar must:

• Enhance its skill, capacity, and commitment to professionalism.

• Cultivate leadership to promote accountability and bring about reform in the juvenile legal system.

• Build collaborations, partnerships, and community involvement to advance youth defense delivery systems.