Overview
Using direct representation and advocacy, we fight to keep children out of the legal system so that they can thrive in their homes and communities. We believe kids should be treated as kids and supported in becoming healthy adults.
It's #GivingTuesday! And for today only, we have a very special opportunity. Our board of directors has generously pledged to TRIPLE MATCH all gifts made online to LCCR. That's right! Give today and TRIPLE the impact of your support!
About Us
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LCCR protects the constitutional right to an attorney for more than 90% of New Orleans’ children in the juvenile legal system – 503 children in FY 2023 (ending June 30). Additionally, though our partnership with the East Baton Rouge Office of the Public Defender, we provided social work support to another 149 children last year. We’re so much more than a nonprofit law office though. We meet our kids at a moment of crisis and provide the wraparound services necessary to leave the legal system behind for good. We help our kids enroll in school, secure special education supports, access job training, and address trauma.
We also advocate for local and statewide policies that reduce the number of children in the legal system and provide better alternatives to arrest and incarceration. For the kids who do enter the system, we support policies that keep them safe, protect their rights, and get them home as soon as possible.
The result of our collective approach? More kids staying in their homes, schools, and communities. This means healthier young people, safer neighborhoods, and saved taxpayer dollars. We’re continually inspired by the strength of our kids and how, working with LCCR’s programming, they build brighter futures for themselves.
What Your Dollars Do
$15 - books for an incarcerated child
$25 - birth certificate or state ID card
$50 - clothing for a job interview
$100 - cost of an attorney prison visit
$250 - cost of a mental health evaluation
$500 - social work support for one child
Success Story
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We first met “Campbell” last year as a 10th grader arrested on a simple burglary charge. He was doing well and approaching his final court hearing when tragedy struck. Campbell’s older brother, Ronell, was shot and killed in front of their family’s home. Campbell was devastated.
In response to this tragedy, Campbell’s judge opted not to close his case on the idea that the court could connect him with more services like grief counseling. Too often judges believe that more court programming will yield better outcomes—even if it means keeping cases open longer. The reality is quite the opposite. Studies show that the longer a child is mired in the legal system, the worse off their outcomes.
Lost in grief, Campbell began acting out in school and was expelled. Because his case was still open, expulsion meant he was now violating court conditions, making his legal troubles even worse. Campbell was sent to an alternative school with still no access to trauma counseling and support. He was soon accused of being in a “gang fight.” Even though he denied involvement, he was expelled.
The district refused Campbell a new school placement, telling his mother that she was on her own to find educational services for him. She didn’t know where to turn to get help for her son.
That’s when our team stepped in. In the short term, we identified an online education program that Campbell could finish out last school year with. Unfortunately, the family had to pay out of pocket for the program, putting a great financial strain on the household. However, the school district left them with no other choice.
As a longer-term solution, Campbell’s LCCR team successfully advocated for his re-enrollment back in his original high school placement in his home district. We helped him secure compensatory education to help him catch up on the schooling he missed. Working with the court, we helped him access trauma counseling to work through his grief about his brother’s loss. We also helped him identify and apply for jobs—giving him something positive to do outside of school hours.
Now in his junior year, Campbell is back on track to graduate on time. He is once more headed towards case closure and we are determined to help him cross that finish line.
Campbell’s case is unconscionable, but not unheard of. It is surprisingly common for students who have experienced disciplinary action to be pushed out of the education system and be denied further enrollment. Without dedicated advocacy, many simply fall through the cracks and find their way back into the legal system. LCCR works to break this vicious cycle so that all of our kids are set up for success. Kids just like Campbell.