Vol. 47, No. 1: Empowering Youth at Risk through Legal Rights Education

Children's Rights

Meet the Lived Experience Editing Team

The ABA contracted with lived experience experts to provide feedback on Human Rights magazine Vol. 47, No. 1 as part of the ABA's commitment to youth engagement, as established under ABA Resolution 115.

Children's Rights

Ladder of Participation

The Ladder of Participation is meant to be used as a reflective tool with the intent to assess one’s practice of authentic youth engagement. Youth participation is critical in a job in which young people are the primary population receiving services.

Family

We Deserve Platinum

by Lily Colby

As a child who grew up in the foster care system and now a public interest attorney who focuses on improving policies for youth & families, Colby instructs lawyers to listen to & empower those with lived experience to shape these systems & policies.

Court Administration

The Right for Children to Be Present, Be Heard, and Meaningfully Participate in Their Own Dependency Court Proceedings

by Hon. Ernestine Steward Gray (Ret.) and Brenda C. Robinson

Children should have the presumptive right to be present and meaningfully participate in their court hearings where life-altering decisions are being made about them. Gray & Robinson suggest ways to make the courtroom experience safe and accessible.

Mental Health

Too Much, Too Many, Too Young: Youth Assent to Psychotropic Medication in Foster Care Is a Basic Human Right

by Elizabeth Pitman Gretter

This article explores the question: What exactly are the rights of children in foster care when it comes to the prescription of psychotropic medication?

Homelessness

Nothing About Youth, Without Youth: The Resurgence of Youth Power in Proclaiming Basic Human Rights to End Homelessness in the United States

by Rich Hooks Wayman

In 2021, youth are beginning to be respected as co-creators in the codification of policy and human rights to end homelessness and are using this power to center policy reforms on racial justice and equity.

Homelessness

Addressing the Post-COVID-19 Needs of Young People Experiencing Homelessness

by Gabriella McDonald and Michael Santos

Policymakers & legal advocates should not ignore or overlook the myriad reasons youth experience homelessness and the vastly different barriers youth have to overcome to successfully & permanently exit homelessness when creating support and services.

Civil Rights & Constitution

Strip-Searching Children Is State-Imposed Trauma

by Riya Saha Shah and Jessica Feierman

Children are routinely strip-searched by correctional staff in detention centers, school officials, and child abuse investigators. While strip searches are used to uncover dangerous contraband, the trauma they cause is severe.

Career

To Be a Competent Children's Attorney, Learn to Apply Principles of Child Development

by Carolyn Levenberg

From how to communicate with your client to how to prepare for court, approaching representation with a developmental lens maximizes results for the child client and ensures the preservation of the child's rights.

Education

Shutting Down the School-to-Prison Pipeline

by Hon. Jay Blitzman (Ret.)

The school-to-prison pipeline reflects a disturbing and retributive narrative that has contributed to the criminalization of childhood and adolescence and has disproportionately affected our most vulnerable populations.

Civil Rights & Constitution

Pushing Against the Tide to Help At-Risk LGBTQ Youth THRIVE

by Bobbi M. Bittker

Lawyers have the tools and an obligation to advocate on behalf of LGBTQ youth. For example, ProjectTHRIVE convenes professionals to bridge gaps in services to create a more equitable, inclusive support system and community for LGBTQ youth.

Civil Rights & Constitution

Human Rights Hero: Billie Holiday

by Hon. Ernestine Steward Gray (Ret.)

Billie Holiday, while not a typical heroine, was a strong woman who embodied racial justice. Her lasting message to us is that even those who’ve been impacted by hardships and injustices can be some of the greatest champions for change.