National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC) was established in 1997 in response to ongoing deprivations of youth rights in juvenile courts. Its mission is to promote justice for all children by ensuring excellence in youth defense. NJDC focuses on youth defense specialization through a lens of racial justice and examines state-based youth defense delivery systems. Youth defense specialists are knowledgeable of specific laws and procedures that apply in juvenile court. Having a defender goes far beyond protecting and enforcing children’s legal rights. Defenders give voice to the trauma and strengths of a young person, and they zealously fight to humanize their clients to lessen the harms of the juvenile court system as much as possible. Additionally, the Gault Center partners with defenders, governments, philanthropic foundations, and advocacy organizations at the local, state, and national levels to effectuate reforms that strengthen youth defense systems and encourage developmentally appropriate practices. Lastly, they advocate for policy through different forms such as educational campaigns, court rule reform and policy initiatives. For more information on the services provided by the NJDC, please visit their website.