ABSTRACT
A half-century has passed since the United States Supreme Court affirmed children's right to counsel in the seminal case In re Gault. This chapter challenges juvenile defenders to confront their own prejudices by taking a hard look at the role they play in perpetuating racial disparities within the system. It urges defenders to be "color brave", raising race at every stage of the juvenile case and developing positive narratives to replace the stereotypically negative images of children of color and their families. The chapter empowers defenders to advocate for legislative, policy, and practice reforms that will eliminate the disparate treatment of youth of color in juvenile courts across our nation. It is a call to action – a reminder that as juvenile defenders in contemporary America. Juvenile defenders can submit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for government records that may demonstrate a pattern of racially biased policing or racially motivated misconduct.
