Youth Justice

We help eligible youth in a range of legal issues to address homelessness, safety, self-sufficiency, and education goals.

Providing civil legal services to young people from the ages 13-26 to prevent justice system entry/reentry:

The Youth Justice Team believes that young people should be treated with respect and have the resources they need to meet their goals. To that end, we engage in civil legal representation, social work, community collaborations, and systematic advocacy, in partnership with the young people we serve. Services and legal areas we address include:

  • Entry into Foster Care and Foster Care Benefits
  • Education (special education, enrollment, partial credit recovery, school discipline defense)
  • Guardianships
  • Public Benefits and SSI
  • Immigration
  • Family Law

Have Questions? Need Help?

  • Youth Justice Hotline: 510-250-5277 (leave a message ANYTIME and include your name and number in the message)
  • Legal Advice Line: 800-551-5554
  • California Relay Service: Dial 7-1-1 or from TTY dial 1-800-735-2929 or visit California Relay Service for more information.

Our attorneys work with youth across the Bay Area. In each county, our work takes on different forms and priorities:

News

Resources

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December 9 @ 3:01 am

Disability nondiscrimination policy and grievance procedure

December 9 @ 3:01 am

Youth Justice Referral Form

Information to help you with this form.

December 9 @ 3:01 am

Youth Homelessness Project Report

A report documenting years of intensive work with children and youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area.

December 9 @ 3:01 am

Know Your Rights: Domestic Violence 

BayLegal Youth Intern Armaan Sharma has assembled and designed a new Know Your Rights resource on domestic violence. With extensive information on legal definitions and rights, and specific information for youth, immigrants, and LGBTQIA+ individuals, we hope this resource will prove useful to anyone seeking help or providing community education on domestic violence.

December 9 @ 3:01 am

Know Your Rights: McKinney-Vento Act (education rights for youth experiencing homelessness)

BayLegal’s Youth Justice team has assembled a Know Your Rights document and resource list on the McKinney-Vento Act’s protections for youth experiencing homelessness. Many thanks to the YJ team’s high school interns, who have worked this summer to research and design this resource!

December 9 @ 3:01 am

Know Your Rights: Youth Interactions with Law Enforcement

BayLegal’s Youth Justice practice has produced a helpful guide to youth interactions with police, ICE, and other law enforcement. It is important that young people know their rights and how to assert and protect them in encounters with law enforcement—especially for black or brown youth, who are more often mistreated by police. The guide includes a one-page overview of the four phrases and key concepts to remember when dealing with law enforcement, with additional details, strategies, and resources on the following pages.

December 9 @ 3:01 am

RFA (Resource Family Approval) Cheat Sheet for Emergency Placement & Criminal Record Exemptions

https://baylegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RFA-Cheatsheet.pdf

December 9 @ 3:01 am

Safety at Home: Demanding Child Welfare Services for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

December 9 @ 3:01 am

Ensuring Stability And Success For Youth Tenants In THP Plus

December 9 @ 3:01 am

Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Housing Vouchers

December 9 @ 3:01 am

Juvenile Court Guardianships in Delinquency Court: A Quick Guide

This guide, prepared by BayLegal’s Youth Justice team, covers the process of court-appointed guardianships for youth in delinquency court. Topics include how and under whose authority the process can be started, which forms are required and who needs to complete or assist with them, benefits and supports available for youth and guardians, and resources for further assistance. Also attached is a ZIP file containing a set of juvenile court guardianships forms for easy access and reference.

December 9 @ 3:01 am

Know Your Rights: AB 181

Thanks to BayLegal YouthJustice law clerk Sophie Tohl and intern Armaan Sharma for this one-page guide to a new diploma pathway for young people with disabilities, established under California’s AB 181. Please circulate widely to any students you serve who entered ninth grade during the 2022-23 school year or later, and who might qualify for this pathway.