The Juvenile Justice Clinic at the Center is one of a small handful of live client clinics nationwide where students have the opportunity to regularly represent children in the delinquency court. While there are opportunities for students to be involved in appellate advocacy, every student in the clinic will have at least one client, and in most cases three or four over the course of their year in the clinic.  Students are responsible for all aspects of representation of their clients, from initial interviews through trial, disposition and post-disposition case management. Clinical students are required to enroll in a year-long juvenile delinquency and litigation skills course. For more information, visit the classes page.

The clinic is located on the 5th floor of the Casassa building. Students in the class are each assigned a computer workstation for their use where wireless access is available. The classes take place in the Trial Advocacy Center, just down the hall. 

Most of our clients' cases are heard in the Inglewood juvenile courthouse which is located in the civic center plaza in Inglewood, California. Follow this link for a map and directions from LLS to the courthouse.

A multidisciplinary approach to representing children is the hallmark of our philosophy. Our social-work staff play a key roll in our representation of every one of our clients. See information on holistic representation.

THE YOUTH JUSTICE EDUCATION CLINIC

As the phrase “school to prison pipeline” attests, there is proven causal relationship between unmet special-education needs and court involvement.  Many of the Center’s clients are children who are entitled to Regional Center services, social security relief, or Individualized Education Plans that the school system has failed to provide.  For this reason, the Center also features a Youth Justice Education Clinic, where law students under the supervision of an education attorney represent these clients in due process hearings, disciplinary hearings, and IEP assessments in order to advocate for their legal entitlements.  By addressing the special education needs of these children, the Center increases their chances for a lasting positive outcome. 

“The clinic was the biggest highlight of my law school career. Not only did I learn the practical aspects of building a case, but I learned about all the emotional ups and downs of being an attorney. There is no better feeling than knowing that you gave a child a second chance to succeed.” — Neha Mehta, CJLP Alumna, Class of 2006