About Us

Juvenile Law Center is the oldest nonprofit, public-interest law firm in the United States dedicated to improving laws and policies to promote fairness, prevent harm, ensure access to appropriate services, and create opportunities for youth involved in the justice and child welfare systems.

Founded in Philadelphia in 1975 as a local, legal-aid group, Juvenile Law Center’s widely sought expertise in children’s law quickly propelled it to the forefront of the national children’s rights movement. Juvenile Law Center’s work has helped to advance significant developments in children and the law for more than 35 years, including several landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions, providing permanent improvements to the juvenile justice landscape.

Juvenile Law Center is dedicated to protecting society’s most vulnerable youth - those in the foster care or justice system between 10-21 years of age who are most likely to be mislabeled, ignored, harmed, or scarred for life by systems that are supposed to help them.