Youth Represent

Youth Represent provides criminal and reentry legal representation to young people who have been involved with the justice system who could not otherwise afford an attorney. While everyone is guaranteed a lawyer in criminal court, thousands of low-income New Yorkers face the challenge of navigating complex legal systems on their own due to the consequences that even a minor criminal conviction can bring: being denied school loans, losing their job, or becoming homeless. Ours is a three-pronged approach: we partner with social service organizations across New York; provide direct representation to youth; and advocate to change laws to make it possible for court-involved New Yorkers to reenter society. Each year, thousands of young people cycle through our citys justice system, and at every step, a new collateral consequence can arise. Arrest charges can be entered incorrectly into a courts system, resulting in an error on a teens rap sheet for years. A missed court appearance f...