Every day, lawyers across the United States represent children in a variety of legal matters, including education, child welfare, juvenile justice, and immigration cases. This representation is both exceptionally challenging and rewarding and is widely viewed as civil rights work. In this video series, children’s lawyers share what drew them into this work, provide invaluable insight on how to break into the field, and discuss why they find it meaningful. These videos are meant to be shared and can be used in presentations to undergraduate and law students. To learn more about a career in children’s law visit The Future of Children’s Lawyering or our Fearless Children’s Lawyer of the Month profiles. If you have questions about this video series please contact [email protected]
Pathways into Children’s Law
On this page you can scroll down to find the full videos of those profiled, but also a series of short clips grouped as follows: Centering Youth Voice; Substantive Expertise; Why Children’s Rights Work is Civil Rights Work; Advice to Young Lawyers; and What Inspires our Fearless Lawyers
To be a fearless lawyer for children, it is important to center youth voice and stand alongside our child clients as partners. Children are the experts of their own lives. They are an integral part of their representation.
There are many paths to effective advocacy for children in state systems. Fearless children’s lawyers are experts in immigration law, education, youth defense, and child welfare.
Children’s rights work is civil rights work—the child welfare, juvenile justice, immigration, and education systems all disproportionately harm children of color. Being a fearless lawyer for children means attacking these disparities in our representation.
Fearless lawyers provide advice to young lawyers interested in breaking into the field of children’s rights.
Being a lawyer for children can be emotionally taxing and lead to burnout. Fearless lawyers share what inspires them and what keeps them going.
Three Years of Fearless Children’s Lawyers
The Fearless Children's Lawyer of the Month series was launched in March 2020 to highlight and celebrate legal advocacy for children and youth in various legal areas. Some reflections on what our series and the zealous advocates highlighted in it have taught us as we approach our third anniversary.
Read Article