NCJ Number
244364
Date Published
October 2010
Length
72 pages
Annotation
This study examined the degree of representation provided by lawyers to children involved with Pennsylvania's juvenile justice system.
Abstract
Major findings from the study include the following: many of the lawyers that represent children in Pennsylvania's juvenile justice system do not comply with the Juvenile Act or the American Bar Association (ABA) Standards of Practice; despite a uniform source of legal standards and judicial rules, the practice of the rules varies widely from county to county; and the quality of representation provided to children suffers due to a lack of support for lawyers to fulfill their obligations. This study examined the degree of representation provided by lawyers to children involved with Pennsylvania's juvenile justice system. The study was conducted to determine the degree to which lawyers for children were following the standards of practice that had been codified into law in order to improve both the quantity and quality of the representation. Data for the study were obtained from a survey of social workers and lawyers working in the State's 67 counties. Completed surveys were received from 99 lawyers and 39 social workers in 34 of the State's counties. The findings from this study suggest that while the establishment of standards of practice is a good step towards improving legal representation for children, more work needs to be done to provide lawyers the support and guidance they need to improve the quantity and quality of their legal representation. A set of recommendations for improving this situation are discussed. Tables and appendixes