Diversion as a Youth Defense Strategy – Advancing Litigation and Policy to Minimize Youth Exposure to the Juvenile Legal System

Diversion as a Youth Defense Strategy: Advancing Litigation and Policy to Minimize Youth Exposure to the Juvenile Legal System

This page is visible only for registered attendees at our 2026 Youth Defender Leadership Summit who have signed up for access to our Summit portal. You can learn more about our Summit on our Summit Initiative page. If you’ve previously signed up for access to our Summit portal, you can log in below. If you…

Sample Memorandum of Law in Support of Alternative Disposition – Restorative Justice Disposition

This sample legal memorandum in support of an alternative disposition from Oregon outlines legal and policy arguments for adopting the county’s restorative justice program instead of a traditional probation sentence. The memo argues a restorative justice disposition comports with the state’s juvenile legal system purpose clause, is effective even without victim participation, aligns with the…

This issue brief from the Annie E. Casey Foundation highlights research on the impact of expanding diversion in the juvenile legal system. Overview from the brief: This brief presents the research case behind significantly expanding the use of diversion. The available evidence indicates that arresting young people and formally processing their cases in juvenile court…