The Children's Law Center

The Children’s Law Center is a legal services nonprofit founded and headquartered in Brooklyn that empowers young people experiencing disruption or violence in their family lives. The first organization of its kind, CLC represents and supports children of all ages in court proceedings across NYC involving custody, visitation, domestic violence, and child protective matters. Through our work in the courtroom as well as the community, we reduce the negative impact of family dissolution, prevent future court involvement, and promote well-being and equity for young people. 

Jurists in Family Courts across NYC assign clients to CLC in cases where the family cannot afford a lawyer and the court believes there exists threat to a child's well-being. While the children we serve come from all backgrounds, our clients are among the most marginalized children in New York. A disproportionate number of children involved in the court system face chronic disinvestment, systemic racism, homelessness, and trauma. Over 85% of our clients are black and brown children. Approximately one-third have a disability. Our clients are under-protected, overpoliced, and caught in a legal system that persistently disempowers children. 

At CLC, we believe that children themselves are the best guides in creating plans that help them succeed. CLC's interdisciplinary approach, consisting of trial attorneys and social workers, enables us to implement strengths-based support that respond to real-world needs and allows children to be active participants in the resolution process. Our legal team provides each client with an Attorney for the Child (AFC), who handles all aspects of litigation. AFCs zealously represent our clients' positions in court and ensure that their voices are heard. Meanwhile, CLC social workers ensure that our clients' mental health, wellbeing, and other psychosocial needs are addressed. 

Last year, we began our Youth Guardianship Project (YGP). The YGP helps young migrants under the age of 21 who have been abused or abandoned gain lawful residency in the US through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). This pathway is open to children whose best interest is not served by being forced to return to their country of origin. The YGP helps these young migrants submit their SIJS application and represents them in related guardianship proceedings in Family Court. 

With your support, we can better achieve our mission of providing excellent holistic legal representation and social support to every child involved in Family Court.