Juvenile Law Section
The Juvenile Law Section provides an opportunity for legal professionals who work with juveniles and their families in child welfare and juvenile justice to meet together and work collaboratively on issues facing their clients. Areas of legal practice the section addresses include child welfare, juvenile justice, status offenses, immigration as it relates to children and families, truancy, at-risk youth and children in need of services proceedings, as well as a variety of civil legal needs of youth. The Section welcomes advocates from all interested disciplines and a variety of fields of law, including juvenile justice, child welfare, and those who represent youth in civil legal practice.
The Section provides benefits to members by sponsoring an annual CLE focusing on current developments in the area of juvenile law. The Section also acts as an agent of change to improve the law and practice related to civil and criminal matters involving children and youth in Washington state.
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The Juvenile Law Section offers many resources and benefits for members. On this page you will find information about the section, their upcoming events and offerings, as well as information about the section's executive committee.
Upcoming ProgramsAwards & ScholarshipsMember Benefits | Join Our List ServeExecutive CommitteeExecutive Committee Meetings |
Upcoming Programs
NEW Webinar! SUD Part 2: Understading youth Substance Use
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Juvenile Law Section
Understanding Youth Substance Use explores the impact and rates of substance use among youth. It discusses risk factors and protective factors, how substance use effects the brain, different types of substances being used, and common warning signs of use or addiction. Advocates will leave better able to start conversations with youth on substance use and addiction.
When: May 8, 2026
Time: Noon–1:30 p.m. PDT
Credits: 1.50 Other
Law Student Subscriber Scholarship by the WSBA Juvenile Law Section
The Juvenile Law Section of the Washington State Bar Assocation (WSBA) seeks to facilitate opportunities for law students to join the Juvenile Law Section. The Juevnile Law Section will award up to five (5) scholarships covering the cost of the subscriber fee for law students of $18.75, as described below. Award recipients must be willing to attend at least one follow-up Juevnile Law Section meeting to introduce themselves to the Executive Committee/Section.
Qualifying Event
Scholarship funds must be used to cover the $18.75 subscriber fee for the 2026 membership year.
Criteria
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Enrolled, in good standing, in a Washington State accredited law school program
- A demonstrated interest in the purpose of the Juvenile Law Section, as set forth on the Juvenile Law website and in the Juevnile Law Section bylaws
- ALL APPLICANTS must be willing to attend at least one follow-up Juvenile Law Section meeting to introduce themselves to the Executive Committee/Section
Application Process
To apply, applicants must submit the following information to wsbajuvenilelaw@gmail.com:
- Name;
- Law school;
- Statement of 200 words or fewer about the applicant's interest in the purpose of the Juvenile Law Section.
Applications will be collected on a rolling basis by the Juvenile Law Section beginning May 1, 2026, until all scholarships have been awarded for the year, and will be reviewed by a committee of the Juvenile Law Section.
Applicants will be selected based on whether they meet the applicant criteria set forth above and evaluation by the committee of the applicant's interest in the purpose of the Juvenile Law Section.
Scholarship recipients will be selected and notified by the committee.
Disbursement and Use of Funds
Scholarship funds will be paid directly to WSBA at the time the student's registration form is approved by WSBA.
Section Contacts
The Section contact for this scholarship is Section's Secretary, Anastasia Clark.
NEW! Member Benefits Page!
The Juvenile Law Section Executive Committee is pleased to announce their new Member Benefits Page! Inside you will find recordings of past CLEs, and a Warm Hand-Off List of Juvenile Law Section members. And your executive committee is working hard towards expanding the content in these pages, so keep an eye out here for upcoming news about what you can expect from your section membership!
Want to get involved? Message the Executive Committee or email sections@wsba.org to learn more!
Awards/Scholarships
Itzel Yajaira Gonzalez Patiño
National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA)
Conference Recap
I am grateful for the support of the Washington State Bar Association—Juvenile Law Section for providing me the opportunity to virtually attend the 43rd Annual Protecting our Children Conference hosted by the National Indian Child Welfare Association ("NICWA"). Attending this conference allowed me to deepen my understanding of Indigenous-child welfare, culturally grounded advocacy, and the long-term responsibility legal professionals hold in protecting Native children and supporting tribal sovereignty.
In the Sacred Work of Serving Families session, I learned about "heart work," that serving families within tribal communities is not merely professional work, but heart work grounded in cultural responsibility and care. Hearing Native leaders describe child welfare as sacred reframed my understanding of legal advocacy as relational and ethical, rather than purely procedural. This perspective aligned closely with my victim-centered and trauma-informed approach to advocacy and reinforced the importance of humility, trust, and cultural awareness when working with families who have historically experienced harm through legal systems.
The general session, Celebrating the Roles of Urban Indian Centers and Services, expanded my understanding of Native child welfare beyond reservation-based contexts. As more Native families live in urban areas, urban Indian centers play a vital role in preserving cultural connection while providing family-centered and culturally competent services. Learning about different centers outside the state of Washington highlighted the importance of accessible and community-based support systems. Lastly, the closing session, ICWA 2050: Join This Generational movement, framed the Indian Child Welfare Act as a living commitment requiring sustained advocacy and intergenerational collaboration. This session stressed that protecting Native children and tribal sovereignty is an ongoing responsibility that must evolve alongside legal, social, and policy changes.
Attending the NICWA conference deepened my understanding of culturally grounded approaches to serving Native families. I am thankful for the support that made this opportunity possible and remain committed to amplifying children's voices and safeguarding their rights.
Member Benefits
Interested in becoming a member of the Juvenile Law Section and wondering what benefits you'll receive? Here's the benefits you can expect upon becoming a section member!
- Access to the Juvenile Law Section List Serve
- Tailored CLE programming (in-person, webcast, low-cost, and free webinars!) designed with your practice area/interests in mind
- Invitations to professional networking opportunities
- Leadership opportunities through executive committee participation
- Practice area resources in the Member Benefits area
- Recordings of previous CLEs (non-accredited)
- The Warm Hand-off List
- More coming soon!
Being a member of the Juvenile Law Section comes with many perks, and can be a rewarding experience finding community among your peers!
Join today!
Executive Committee
Chair: James M. Richardson III (2025-2027) Chair-Elect: Marci Comeau (2025-2027) Immediate Past-Chair: Bailey Zydek (2025-2027) Secretary: Anastasia Clark (2025-2027) Treasurer: Jeffrey Bennett Adams (2025-2027) New Member Liaison: Aminat Sanusi (2025-2027) Board of Governors Liaison*: Kari Petrasek (2025-2026) * Nonvoting member To learn more about your Executive Committee Members, check out the Biographies page. | At-Large Members: CLE/Outreach Coordinator: Civil Legal Needs Committee Co-Chair: Dependency & Child Welfare Committee Co-Chair: Juvenile Justice Committee Co-Chair: Legislative Committee Co-Chair: Law School Representatives*: |
Executive Committee Meetings
The WSBA Juvenile Law Executive Committee generally conducts meetings by videoconference from noon to 1 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month. Meetings are hosted on Zoom and are open to all section members and members of the public.
See the Juvenile Law Section's event calendar listing for log-in information. Please contact subcommittee members for details on their upcoming meeting dates and locations.
Join Our List Serve
To join the section list serve and for general section questions, please send your email address and Bar number to sections@wsba.org. For more information and to get involved with the section, contact the Section Chair.
