Mid-Atlantic Juvenile Defender Center

The child “requires the guiding hand of counsel at every step in the proceedings against him.” Gault, 387 U.S. 1(1967)

Located at the University of Richmond School of Law, the Mid-Atlantic Juvenile Defender Center (MAJDC) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that seeks to change the culture of juvenile justice by ensuring excellence in juvenile defense and promoting justice for all children in Washington, DC, Maryland, Puerto Rico, Virginia, and West Virginia. The center is a regional affiliate of the National Juvenile Defender Center in Washington, D.C.

Statement of Beliefs

The center believes that:

• All children in the justice system must have ready and timely access to capable, well-resourced, well-trained legal counsel.
• All children are entitled to legal representation that is: individualized developmentally and age appropriate; and free of racial, ethnic, gender, social, and economic bias.
• All children have strengths and the potential to become productive members of society and each has the right to constitutional and statutory protections.
• The juvenile defense bar must build its capacity, develop leadership, and demonstrate a commitment to professionalism.
• The juvenile defense bar must promote accountability and bring about reform in the juvenile justice system.
• The juvenile defense bar's role in the justice system will be advanced through collaboration and partnership.
• The juvenile defense system will be enhanced by greater community involvement.

Goals

The center works to create an environment in which:

• Children are treated with respect, dignity, and fairness.
• Juvenile courts are knowledgeable, sensitive, and responsive to the needs of children.
• Excellence is routine in juvenile defense.
• Juvenile defenders have the capacity to fully protect children's rights, including adequate resources and compensation, manageable caseloads, and sufficient access to investigation, expert, and other ancillary and administrative support.
• Juvenile defenders have resources and pay parity with juvenile prosecutors.
• The representation of children is specialized and adequate opportunities exist for juvenile defenders to fully exercise and enhance their legal, political, organizational, research, and advocacy skills.

Networking

Hundreds of juvenile defenders, academics, and advocates participate in the center’s e-mail listserv. The listserv is used to post juvenile defense-related events, issues, and news items from the region. It is also used for case consultation and other questions.

Please visit the National Juvenile Defender Center site, which has a form to submit if you would like to join any of the regional listservs.

If you wish to join a listserv specific to Virginia or Washington, DC, e-mail JiSeon Song.

Related Links

ABA Juvenile Justice Center

Campaign for Youth Justice

Center for Children's Law and Policy

Justice Policy Institute

Juvenile Law Center

National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice

National Center on Sexual Behavior of Youth

National Council on Crime and Delinquency

National Juvenile Defender Center

National Juvenile Justice Network

U.S. Department of Justice - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention