Louisiana Center for Children's Rights

Using direct representation and advocacy, we fight to keep children out of the legal system so that they can thrive in their homes and communities. We envision a Louisiana where every child, no matter their race or class, is free to be a kid and supported in becoming a healthy adult.

We are a nonprofit law office that commits itself to addressing the issues that bring young people into the juvenile legal system. We do so by fighting for our children in the courtroom, at City Hall, and in the state legislature.

We know that children thrive when they are supported in their own homes and communities. So we advocate for state and local policies that reduce the number of children in the legal system and provide better alternatives to arrest and incarceration. For the kids who do enter the system, we support policies that keep them safe, protect their rights, and get them home as soon as possible.

As the juvenile public defender in New Orleans, we represent the majority of children in our city's juvenile legal system. We provide each child with a holistic team - a lawyer, social worker, investigator, and advocate - to address both the causes and consequences of an arrest. We make sure children have the supports they need to access education, mental health care, and job opportunities so they can put the system behind them for good.

We work for children's rights every day because when kids thrive, so do our families, our communities, and our state.

Testimonials

The impact of LCCR's work is best exemplified by the children we serve:

Deondre: an 11th grader with a baby boy of his own who found success after arrest (https://tinyurl.com/yw4yhrmm)

Amira: a high school senior who survived homelessness and trafficking (https://tinyurl.com/45nrnrsh)

Rodrigo: a child who had been in and out of the legal system since he was a pre-teen finally breaks the cycle of arrest and incarceration (https://tinyurl.com/mt72x559j)

In Louisiana's two largest cities (New Orleans and Baton Rouge), LCCR serves more than 700 children annually. Like Deondre, Amira, and Rodrigo, each has their own story to tell.