YSRP is excited to announce the creation of a student pro bono project at Penn Law School and the Penn School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), the Youth Advocacy Project (YAP).  

On September 29, we kicked off this interdisciplinary project with a training at Penn Law School, which brought together over 30 graduate students in social work, law, and professionals in various fields. Working in interdisciplinary teams, YAP volunteers will contribute to the work of YSRP in three important ways:

• Work on behalf of individual clients:  assist with pulling records for clients' cases, drafting reports for the court and making referrals to community-based organizations
• Research projects:  help YSRP gather statistics, case law and other legal support for advocacy positions and policy work 
• Community education:  help spread the word about kids in adult court and what community members and organizations can do to prevent youth from coming in contact with the system

We are thrilled to partner with such talented and dedicated volunteers as we work to provide comprehensive supports for youth prosecuted as adults. We thank YAP's co-founders and co-directors Elizabeth Levitan and Martha Hanna, and our colleagues at Penn Law School's Toll Public Interest Center and SP2's Criminal Justice Bloc (especially YSRP Intern Rachel Leffel) for making this partnership possible!