Juvenile Justice, Success & Impact
Celebrating Four Years of Transformative Advocacy with the Transition Aged Youth Civil Legal Practice Exchange
The Youth Law Center is thrilled to mark the fourth anniversary of the Transition Aged Youth (TAY) Civil Legal Practice Exchange. The Youth Law Center’s goal is to ensure that young people involved in foster care and juvenile justice systems have what they need to thrive, and civil legal aid programs play a critical role in addressing gaps in services from child welfare, probation, education, immigration, health and behavioral health care, housing and other systems so these youth have access to justice. Originally established as a collaborative hub for civil legal advocates across California, the TAY Practice Exchange plays a vital role in sharing resources, providing technical assistance, and cultivating referral pathways. The work of the TAY Civil Legal Practice Exchange is made possible by funding from the State Bar of California.
Since its inception, the Practice Exchange has expanded its membership fivefold, now engaging with 40 Qualified Legal Services Projects (QLSPs) through its training series, which accounts for 45% of the total QLSPs in California. The Practice Exchange not only bolsters support for legal aid organizations but also enhances the Youth Law Center’s ability to ensure that legal aid attorneys have the information they need to support systems-involved youth and their families in the legal aid sphere.
Youth Law Center stands as one of only 21 Qualified Support Centers in California, and notably, is one of only two programs devoted exclusively to youth issues. Through its sustained advocacy and initiatives, the Center seeks to improve outcomes for children and youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems.
The monthly training sessions, bi-monthly workshops, and bi-monthly office hours are indispensable to the TAY Practice Exchange’s success. These programs address essential topics like securing stable housing, and increasing access to physical and behavioral health care, ensuring continuous support and development for legal advocates to be able to serve their TAY clients.
One Practice Exchange member had this to say about the Practice Exchange: “[A]ccessing traditional legal services programs has proven challenging for youth in foster care as they oftentimes lack the time, stability, and skills to access these services. They sometimes change phone numbers, are forced to move with little notice, have life emergencies that require a pause in the legal action, or need additional support to engage in legal services. However, these barriers do not mean that the legal issues our clients face are any less pressing; rather, they mean that these young people need services tailored specifically to them and advocates trained to work with them. The Practice Exchange is helping to create a cadre of civil legal aid attorneys with the specialty skills and services who can work together to meet youth in foster care where they are and fill this legal gap.”
In October, Youth Law Center Senior Attorney Marisa Lopez-Scott, along with Rebecca Marcus from the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office and Ann Quirk of Children’s Law Center of California presented on Building Partnerships Between Civil Legal Aid Attorneys and Juvenile Court Attorneys to Support Transition-Aged Youth (TAY) at the statewide Pathways to Justice Conference in San Francisco. Session participants engaged in lively conversation with the panelists to discuss successes and challenges of supporting TAY and connecting systems-impacted youth to vital civil legal aid services. The panel highlighted the work of the Practice Exchange and connected additional civil legal aid providers across California.
Looking ahead, we remain committed to delivering impactful resources and training that benefit transition-aged youth and the advocates committed to their support.