PJDC | Pacific Juvenile Defender Center

The Pacific Juvenile Defender Center provides support to juvenile trial lawyers, appellate counsel, law school clinical programs, and nonprofit law centers to ensure quality representation for children throughout California.

PJDC has streaming training videos! We are building our video library over the next several months, but currently we have our eight-hour AB703 training video and handouts available now for purchase. View the training videos »

Lawyers & Youth Justice Advocates

This section provides PJDC members with access to motions, briefs, and other resources to assist them in their advocacy.

Youth, Families & Community

We believe children in the justice system must be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. If your child is going through the court process, we provide free resources to help you understand the challenges your child faces. If your child was in the juvenile delinquency system, we have information regarding sealing and other collateral consequences of system involvement.

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News & Announcements

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California Supreme Court Upholds Law Protecting 14–15-Year-Olds from Transfer to Adult Court

(San Francisco, CA – February 25, 2021) In a highly anticipated opinion filed in O.G. v. Superior Court today, the California Supreme Court unanimously upheld S.B. 1391 against challenges to its constitutionality. The measure, enacted in 2018, prohibits the transfer of 14 and 15-year-olds to the adult criminal system. The case was successfully argued by… Continue reading →

PJDC/YLC Call for Rethinking Juvenile Hall Commitments

PJDC/YLC Call for Rethinking Juvenile Hall Commitments As California prepares to shutter its state juvenile facility system it is critically important for counties to carefully consider how they will serve youth who previously would have been committed to the Division of Juvenile Justice. On November 12, 2020, the Pacific Juvenile Defender Center (PJDC) and Youth… Continue reading →

PJDC celebrates two legislative milestones: SB 823 and SB 203

On September 30, 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom signed two measures that will have lifechanging consequences for young people in the youth justice system. First, SB 823, sets into motion the closure of California’s State Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and creates a system in which youth will be served in the counties. This will usher… Continue reading →

Amicus

The PJDC Amicus Committee, comprised of California trial counsel, appellate counsel, law faculty, and juvenile advocates, collaborates on issues of critical importance to California juvenile defenders.
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Youth Justice Reform

PJDC members develop and comment on proposed changes in juvenile justice policy, participate in informational legislative hearings, serve on multi-agency task forces and more.
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Training & Technical Assistance

PJDC fills a critical need in offering the chronically under-resourced California juvenile defense bar specialized trainings and technical support services.
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