Just for Kids Law provides advocacy, support and assistance to young people in difficulty; particularly those in trouble with the law, looked after children and those at risk of exclusion from school. We combine specialist legal representation (often pro bono) with individualized packages of support to address the multiple and complex issues that our young people face and that prevents them fully engaging within society. Once their lives are stabilized they work with our opportunities program to get into positive activities including work, education or training.
www.justforkidslaw.orgGrants
Just for Kids Law
Youth Justice Legal Centre
Grant: £30,000
January 18, 2019
YJLC provides:
- Policy and lobbying work to ensure youth justice becomes a legal specialism and to safeguard children’s rights in youth justice;
- A dedicated website (www.yjlc.uk) with comprehensive information, legal resources and best practice guides for lawyers, judges, magistrates, youth offending teams, professionals, children and families;
- A favourable environment to nurture a community of lawyers and other professionals working in youth justice;
- Training on youth justice issues for lawyers and non-legal professionals working with children;
- Specialist legal advice line for children, youth offending team, the judiciary and lawyers. YJLC aims to:
- Promote higher standards in youth justice advocacy;
- Improve awareness of children’s rights in the youth justice system;
Ensure youth justice is recognised as a specialist area of law by establishing an accreditation scheme and all professionals have access to high quality training.
| Increase Public Understanding | Advance High Quality Thinking | Increase Access to Employment |
| People Working in the Law | ||
| Implications of Brexit | Legal Needs in Healthcare Settings | Influence the Online Court |
| Develop Robust Evidence Base | ||
| Understand Role of Technology | ||
| Law Reform, Policy and Regulation | ||
| Communications to Disseminate Learning | ||
Just for Kids Law
Youth Justice Legal Centre
Grant: £70,000
January 12, 2018
This is the second year of the establishment of The Youth Justice Legal Centre (YJLC). A centre of excellence on youth justice legal issues in England and Wales.
YJLC provides:
- Policy and lobbying work to ensure youth justice becomes a legal specialism and to safeguard children’s rights in youth justice;
- A dedicated website (www.yjlc.uk) with comprehensive information, legal resources and best practice guides for lawyers, judges, magistrates, youth offending teams, professionals, children and families;
- A favourable environment to nurture a community of lawyers and other professionals working in youth justice;
- Training on youth justice issues for lawyers and non legal professionals working with children;
- Specialist legal advice line for children, youth offending team, the judiciary and lawyers.
YJLC aims to:
- Improve standards of youth justice legal representation;
- Ensure youth justice is recognised as a specialist area of law.
| Increase Public Understanding | Advance High Quality Thinking | Increase Access to Employment |
| People Working in the Law | ||
| Implications of Brexit | Legal Needs in Healthcare Settings | Influence the Online Court |
| Develop Robust Evidence Base | ||
| Understand Role of Technology | ||
| Law Reform, Policy and Regulation | ||
| Communications to Disseminate Learning | ||
Just for Kids Law
Youth Justice Legal Centre
Grant: £100,000
November 9, 2016
This project is to enable YJLC,
- Become a centre of legal excellence in youth justice law;
- Improve standards of youth justice legal representation;
- Ensure youth justice is recognised as a specialist area of law.
YJLC has developed six business streams:
- Training Lawyers – by continuing to deliver youth justice legal training to barristers and solicitors;
- Research – partner with academic institutions and other organisations to improve knowledge and understanding of youth justice legal issues;
- Strategic Partnerships – develop relationships with academic institutions, commercial law firms and other partners to explore opportunities to provide training and work placements with us YJLC;
- Youth Justice Conference – launch the first youth justice law conference to build a community of youth justice lawyers and raise the profile and status of youth justice law;
- Youth Offending Team (YOT) Seminars – hold regional YOT Seminars to provide opportunities for YOTs and charity workers to improve their knowledge and understanding of youth justice law;
- Subscription – launch online membership providing resources for youth justice professionals including regular legal updates, legal materials and toolkits, a discussion forum and online training.
| Increase Public Understanding | Advance High Quality Thinking | Increase Access to Employment |
| People Working in the Law | ||
| Implications of Brexit | Legal Needs in Healthcare Settings | Influence the Online Court |
| Develop Robust Evidence Base | ||
| Understand Role of Technology | ||
| Law Reform, Policy and Regulation | ||
| Communications to Disseminate Learning | ||
Just for Kids Law
Youth Justice Legal Centre (YJLC)
Grant: £29,221
June 22, 2016
The project is to develop an operating and financial model for growth, identify the funding requirement and scope out a plan to raise the grant funding or investment needed.
In May 2014, Just for Kids Law established the Youth Justice Legal Centre (YJLC). The aim was to create a centre of excellence, providing comprehensive information for those working with children in the criminal justice system, intervening directly in key cases, pushing for improvements in youth justice and providing expert legal advice and training for professionals working with children in the criminal justice system.
A website has been established providing information about youth justice law for lawyers, professionals and young people, their families and carers (www.yjlc.uk). Training courses have also been developed and delivered. Feedback is excellent. The formal launch of the Centre was held in November 2015 at the House of Lords.
In November 2015, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) published its Youth Proceedings Advocacy Review report which highlighted the damaging effects that poor advocacy has on access to justice for young and often very vulnerable offenders. Key findings about the varied quality of provision, the lack of specialist knowledge and skills amongst some advocates, and a lack of specialist training for advocates undertaking work in youth court proceedings all directly support the aims of the YJLC which is well-positioned to drive the response. At the same time, YJLC has been in positive discussions with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and with the head of training at The Law Society(TLS) which revealed strong agreement with these findings and a willingness to address this. There appears to be growing interest at MoJ, BSB and TLS in introducing some sort of requirement on legal professionals to undergo specific training in youth justice provision, which could be accompanied by the introduction of an accreditation scheme. This would make YJLC very well placed to harness the opportunities of this new market.
| Increase Public Understanding | Advance High Quality Thinking | Increase Access to Employment |
| People Working in the Law | ||
| Implications of Brexit | Legal Needs in Healthcare Settings | Influence the Online Court |
| Develop Robust Evidence Base | ||
| Understand Role of Technology | ||
| Law Reform, Policy and Regulation | ||
| Communications to Disseminate Learning | ||
Just for Kids Law
Social Finance and Youth Justice Legal Centre
Grant: £48,750
April 8, 2016
The project is to develop an operating and financial model for growth, identify the funding requirement and scope out a plan to raise the grant funding or investment needed.
In May 2014, Just for Kids Law established the Youth Justice Legal Centre (YJLC). The aim was to create a centre of excellence, providing comprehensive information for those working with children in the criminal justice system, intervening directly in key cases, pushing for improvements in youth justice and providing expert legal advice and training for professionals working with children in the criminal justice system.
A website has been established providing information about youth justice law for lawyers, professionals and young people, their families and carers (www.yjlc.uk). Training courses have also been developed and delivered. Feedback is excellent. The formal launch of the Centre was held in November 2015 at the House of Lords.
In November 2015, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) published its Youth Proceedings Advocacy Review report which highlighted the damaging effects that poor advocacy has on access to justice for young and often very vulnerable offenders. Key findings about the varied quality of provision, the lack of specialist knowledge and skills amongst some advocates, and a lack of specialist training for advocates undertaking work in youth court proceedings all directly support the aims of the YJLC which is well-positioned to drive the response. At the same time, YJLC has been in positive discussions with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and with the head of training at The Law Society(TLS) which revealed strong agreement with these findings and a willingness to address this. There appears to be growing interest at MoJ, BSB and TLS in introducing some sort of requirement on legal professionals to undergo specific training in youth justice provision, which could be accompanied by the introduction of an accreditation scheme. This would make YJLC very well placed to harness the opportunities of this new market.
| Increase Public Understanding | Advance High Quality Thinking | Increase Access to Employment |
| People Working in the Law | ||
| Implications of Brexit | Legal Needs in Healthcare Settings | Influence the Online Court |
| Develop Robust Evidence Base | ||
| Understand Role of Technology | ||
| Law Reform, Policy and Regulation | ||
| Communications to Disseminate Learning | ||
