Juvenile Court Judge

Abstract

Juvenile court is designed to be more rehabilitative and less punitive than adult court, and juvenile court judges play different roles than their adult criminal court counterparts. Juvenile court judges are expected to perform judicial, administrative, and advocacy functions, while also serving as community educators informing the public about the challenges facing juvenile court and its young litigants. Judges can be elected or appointed, depending on the jurisdiction, but all juvenile courts demand a high level of training and expertise for judges. Challenges facing judges in these specialized courts include significant lack of resources, increasing administrative obligations, and the absence of a uniform ethical code of conduct specifically designed to meet the multidimensional roles of juvenile court judges.