Press Releases & Announcements

A Visionary for Youth Justice: Honoring James Bell

Finding words to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of a visionary like James Bell feels almost impossible. James was a trailblazer- a fearless and brilliant advocate whose clarity, passion, and unwavering commitment to justice changed the lives of countless youth.

I first met James as a youth advocate when the Youth Law Center provided office space to the California Youth Connection. I remember feeling both awed and intimidated by him. He radiated purpose-his voice carried conviction, energy, and a vision for what youth deserved. When he encouraged me to speak up, it wasn’t as if he was coaxing a shy “systems kid” into finding her voice- he fully expected me to have a vision for change, and to pursue it with urgency. He believed in young people’s power before all of us believed in our own.

Years later, when I joined the Youth Law Center as a young attorney, James had already moved on to found the Burns Institute. But his presence still lived in our DNA- his impact shaped Youth Law Center’s approach to juvenile justice advocacy. I came to understand our work the way James had defined it: as core civil rights and racial justice work. Long before these frameworks became mainstream in the field, James was already leading the way.

He pushed the field to confront the disproportionate confinement of Black, Brown, and Native youth not as a flaw in the system, but as evidence of structural racism. And he offered a radical, hopeful alternative: investing in families and communities as the true source of safety, support, and justice. His community profiles- developed in partnership with youth and families- reframed who the real experts were in justice reform. He invited us to listen to those most impacted, to see their communities as rich with solutions, and to center their insights in our advocacy.

As longtime Youth Law Center attorney and tireless youth justice champion Sue Burrell said, “There will probably never be another person as good as James at telling people what they were doing wrong-and still having them like him. He was so able to connect with people, understand where they were coming from, and still tell the truth.” In today’s divided world, that kind of grace, honesty, and connection feels revolutionary.

It is hard to imagine this world without James physically in it. But his spirit is strong. His life’s work is woven into Youth Law Center’s mission and the way we understand justice- not just as freedom from incarceration, but as the right to family, to community, to joy, and to a full childhood. James taught us what youth deserve. He mentored so many advocates to fight for it. And so many l carry his vision forward, every single day.

We are forever grateful for James’ wisdom, love, and leadership. We will honor him by continuing the work he began-until every young person lives in the world he dreamed.

– Jennifer Rodriguez, Executive Director