50 Year Legacy
National Center for Youth Law has advanced justice for children and youth since 1971. Civil rights is our legacy. Center Youth is our promise.
Case establishes basic rights of children in foster care
Braam Lawsuit Vindicates Constitutional Rights of Foster Children in Washington State
The 1970s
Founded as the Youth Law Center in 1971, we became the National Center for Youth Law in 1978. Throughout the 1970s, our work led to sweeping reforms.
The 1980s
Throughout the 1980s, NCYL continued to pursue groundbreaking impact litigation, expand its policy work and serve as a resource for community-based legal programs that offered direct legal services to individuals with limited financial resources.
The 1990s
By the 1990s, NCYL was one of just a handful of youth-focused organizations that pursued and achieved broad impact in multiple jurisdictions.
The 2000s and Beyond
National Center for Youth Law has continued to expand our work to include impact litigation, policy advocacy, collaboration and research that fundamentally transforms our nation’s approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice.