Children's Justice Clinic

Representing New Jersey children facing delinquency changes primarily in Camden's juvenile court.

The Rutgers Law Children’s Justice Clinic provides legal representation to juvenile clients in delinquency hearings, sentencing and post-disposition review, and associated legal matters. This clinic is at our Camden location.

If you need legal services, call the clinic at (856) 225-6568 or (856) 225-6646

Legal assistance and representation is provided by law students acting under the supervision of a licensed attorney. The Clinic accepts a limited number of cases during the academic year (mid-August to April).

If you are interested in finding out if the Children’s Justice Clinic might be able to assist you, please call (856) 225-6568 or (856) 225-6646 and leave a message. Someone will return your call during the hours of 9 am and 4 pm, usually within 2 business days of your phone call. Please include in your message whether it is alright to leave a message at your phone number.

Meet the Faculty

S andra Simkins, Clinic Director

Sandra Simkins is the Director and co-founder of the Children’s Justice Clinic and a nationally-recognized expert in juvenile defense. A published author, she was selected by the McArthur Foundation to participate in a juvenile justice reform initiative and is the Due Process Monitor in the settlement agreement between the Department of Justice and the Juvenile Court of Shelby County Tennessee.

Student Experience

Nakea Barsdale RLAW'21 shares her experience in the Children's Justice Clinic.

Information for Students

Clinic Description and Goals
Pre or co-requisites
Who should take this Clinic?

Clinic Description and Goals

The Children’s Justice Clinic (“CJC”) based in Camden is both a law school course and a student-staffed law office that represents youth who are charged with delinquency matters in New Jersey’s family court. CJC students will be immersed in the fast-paced, litigation-based practice of juvenile law while being the lead attorney on a child’s case. Under my supervision, students will take primary responsibility for developing case strategy, interviewing and counseling the families, negotiating with the prosecutors, filing motions in addition to the in-court experiences.

In addition to the new arrest cases, students in the CJC will also engage in post-disposition advocacy and visit youth in juvenile facilities across the state. It is the CJC’s goal to represent the “whole child” meaning that if there are any extraneous matters (such as education) the students will represent the client on those matters as well. This is all done in a setting with a small student-faculty ratio under the close supervision of an experienced clinical professor.

Students who have 56 credits are certified under the New Jersey Practice Rule 1:21: 3(b) and practice on the faculty's license.

In addition to weekly supervision meetings, the CJC also involves a twice-weekly seminar focusing on substantive immigration law and lawyering skills.

Pre or co-requisites

Students must have successfully completed all of their first-year required courses. Students must also have completed or be concurrently enrolled in Professional Responsibility. Evidence and criminal procedure (or an understanding of criminal practice) is not required, but is helpful.

Note, if you do not have 56 credits you will not be able to appear on the record.

Who should take this Clinic?

All students are welcome in the Children’s Justice Clinic. Students who have an interest in criminal law, such as aspiring prosecutors or criminal defense lawyers, are particularly well suited for the clinic, but many others enroll to gain practical experience in criminal law, litigation, public speaking and family law.

Rutgers Law Clinics Share in Court Victory for Juvenile Offenders