Introduction to the Special Issue: Convening for the ABA Commission on Youth at Risk

• Published date: 01 October 2024
• Author: Charisa Smith
• Date: 01 October 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12823

INTRODUCTION

Introduction to the Special Issue: Convening for

the ABA Commission on Youth at Risk

Charisa Smith

CUNY School of Law, Long Island City, New York, USA

Abstract

Youth and families impacted by legal systems now resoundingly

attest to the systems' lasting harm, echoed by interdisciplinary

research. Lawyering thus requires a vastly renewed outlook,

boldness, and honest inquiry about the limits of what the law

and public systems can (and should) attempt as purported

problem-solving amidst broader socioeconomic forces and

injustice. This report synthesizes recommendations from a

groundswell of diverse, dedicated voices following an October

2023 convening hosted by the American Bar Association Com-

mission on Youth at Risk, the ABA Center on Children and the

Law, and Hofstra University's Maurice A. Deane School of Law.

Entitled “Renewal and Revolution: Recommitting the Legal

Profession to Serving Children and Youth,Their Families,and

Communities,”the convening engaged various professionals—

many with firsthand experience in foster and justice systems—

and other advocates. Since the 2006 ABA Youth At Risk Initiative

Planning Conference,theABACommissiononYouthAtRiskhas

elevated the representation and voice of youth through ethical

practice standards, expanded access, and national initiatives.

This report recounts findings of the 2023 convening's four

working groups which met for two-days of (often tense) discus-

sions to chart a path for the legal profession, law, and policy for

the next decade and beyond. Priorities include: transcending

conceptions of youth “at risk”towards recognition of harms

done, a strengths-based lens, and lived experience leadership

and expertise; cultivating next generation attorneys; prioritizing

DOI: 10.1111/fcre.12823

© 2024 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Family Court Rev. 2024;62:757–759. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fcre 757