The youth representation clinic in association with the Public Defender’s office

This clinic provides legal aid and consultation to youth spanning a large spectrum – starting with providing preliminary legal counsel at teenagers’ community centers to providing legal representation at courts in a variety of legal procedures.
Ever since the Israeli ratification of the international convention on the rights of the child, minors receive legal representation by the public defender office in all of their legal proceedings.

That right is being expanded gradually to representation by the department of legal aid in the ministry of justice in proceedings such as psychiatric hospitalization or neglect and abuse cases. While this is a positive process, it neglects to handle the need for preventive and preliminary advocacy.
           
The students will have meaningful learning experience and exposure to complex legal world largely conducted behind closed doors. Referrals come from many sources, such as public defender’s law offices, youth shelters and help centers for homeless teens and LGBTs, so the students are exposed to a diverse legal work, which enables students to acquire a variety of legal instruments. The students at the clinic get to join the court hearings, the committees' evaluation and visits to youth protection institutions.

From the legislative prospect, students will also write and promote position papers, proposals of law and amendments of laws in association with the public defender’s office, parliament members and social organizations.