The Youth Advocacy Project (YAP), founded in 1992, provides legal representation to young people facing delinquency and youthful offender proceedings. YAP's first priority is criminal defense, which it provides using a holistic approach. YAP combines social services with legal services to better represent clients and incorporates contributions from a team including:

• Defense Lawyers
• Education Lawyers
• Social Service Providers
• Psychologists
• Community Outreach Specialists

Legal Representation
The Youth Advocacy Project offers legal representation and advocacy to children under 17 years old who are charged as delinquents or youthful offenders. The Youth Advocacy Project provides these services at a number of stages, including:

• Arraignment - If a child has been arrested and must appear in court the next business day, the Youth Advocacy Project can be appointed to represent the child. If the child is being arraigned in Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, or West Roxbury Juvenile Courts, you may request that the Youth Advocacy Project be appointed to the case, even if we are not present at the time.
• Summons to Court - If a child receives notice in the mail that he or she must appear in court on a future date, either for arraignment or a hearing, you may contact the Youth Advocacy Project to arrange for representation prior to appearing in court.
• Probation Surrenders - If a child is currently on probation and is being brought back to court to determine whether he or she violated the terms of probation, you may contact the Youth Advocacy Project to arrange for representation prior to appearing in court.
• Warrant Removals - If there is a warrant pending for a child, either for arrest or default, you may contact the Youth Advocacy Project for assistance in removing the warrant.
• Police Questioning - If a child is wanted for police questioning, either as a potential defendant or witness, you may contact the Youth Advocacy Project for legal representation or advice.

Consultation
The Youth Advocacy Project can offer advice and consultation on general delinquency issues. Examples of frequently asked questions:

• "I received a letter from the court with a date to appear in court. What does this mean?"
• "The probation officer says my child has to be home at 7pm. Can the officer do that?"
• "My child is being expelled from school for something that happened in the evening. Is that legal?"
• "What can happen if a child goes to DYS?"

Training
The Youth Advocacy Project can offer training to staff, parents, youth, and community groups. The Youth Advocacy Project provides training on:

• the laws affecting juveniles
• the rights of juveniles
• the Juvenile Court process; and
• the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice System

The Youth Advocacy Project cannot offer:
The Youth Advocacy Project is committed to serving court-involved children, however there are a few restrictions to the services YAP can provide. These include:

• The Youth Advocacy Project cannot offer legal representation to any child who is currently represented by another attorney on that case. However, a client can have different attorneys for different cases, even in the same court.
• The Youth Advocacy Project cannot offer specific legal advice to a client who is not represented by the Youth Advocacy Project. Advice on specific legal issues can only be given when an attorney is privy to all the information in a case. Clients should talk only to their attorneys about the facts of a case.
• The Youth Advocacy Project cannot represent a child if it represents or represented a co-defendant, the alleged victim, or a witness.

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Our Model

We assist our clients in addressing persistent problems, such as inappropriate educational placements and unmet mental health needs that threaten their growth and put them at increased risk of court involvement. YAP strives to find community-based alternatives to commitment and incarceration and also engages in violence prevention efforts by linking at-risk youth with available community services. The YAP team works with community-based organizations and city, state, and federal agencies to obtain necessary services for clients during and after their court involvement.

YAP attempts to address the community-wide risk factors correlated with court involvement. This work includes conducting educational sessions for youth and youth workers on the rights and responsibilities of young people under state and federal law, partnering with youth development organizations to enhance the delivery of vital services to children and families, and collaborating with advocacy groups that advocate for juvenile justice system reform. We are currently focusing our reform efforts regarding the disproportionate confinement of children of color in Massachusetts.

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YAP Referral Process

To request a confidential consultation:

• Contact Theresa Flaherty, YAP's Administrative Assistant
  (617) 989-8100 x8112, regarding a delinquency matter
  
  
• Contact John DiSerio, EdLaw Project's Intake Manager
  (617) 989-8100 x8144, regarding an educational matter

To request a training:

• Contact Liz Murdock, JDN's Program Associate
  (617) 989-8100 x8153

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