Pacific Juvenile Defender Center

PJDC was founded in 1999 to provide regular training and support to California lawyers representing young people in juvenile court. Its mission is to promote justice for all youth by ensuring excellence in juvenile defense and advocating for systemic reforms to the delinquency system. Today, PJDC has a membership of more than 1,600 juvenile defenders and advocates.

To further its mission, PJDC provides support to and engages its members through:

• Training and Technical Assistance – providing updates on law and case law, support and ongoing education to defenders and advocates through its listserv, periodic trainings, resource materials;
• Communications and Outreach – facilitating statewide discussion, connection and collaboration among its members; and
• Policy and Legal Reform – working for systemic changes to delinquency law and policy at the

While PJDC is fundamentally an organization dedicated to improving the quality of legal representation in juvenile court and assuring fairness through policy work, we do this work informed by and in conjunction with community-based organizations, families and system-involved youth wherever possible.