Community Resources

PJDC does not provide legal representation or advice to individuals.

The Pacific Juvenile Defender Center (PJDC) is a professional organization of attorneys who represent youth in juvenile justice proceedings in California and Hawaii, and advocates who work on behalf of youth in the juvenile justice system.  It exists to provide training materials, trial support, information and other resources to them to enable them to do their job better.

This section includes information for the general public about obtaining a defender in your locality, and basic background information about the California and Hawaii juvenile justice systems.

Finding Your Defender for a Juvenile Justice Case

If you are trying to find an attorney for yourself or someone you know, this section has contact information for public defender offices and county-contracted juvenile defenders for every California and Hawaii county.

California & Hawaii Juvenile Justice System Basics

This section includes information for California and for Hawaii on the right to legal representation; how the juvenile justice system works; some of the characteristics of youth in the juvenile justice system; what can happen to youth who go through the juvenile system; and what can happen to youth who are tried as adults.  It has information on the critical importance of asserting the right to have an attorney present at every step of the process.

Advocates and Attorneys – Sign Up for Additional PJDC Information

If you are an attorney or advocate, please sign up for membership to access PJDC’s extensive members-only resource bank and listservs.