I’m thankful for the opportunity to chair the American Bar Association’s Youth at Risk Commission which was recently approved as the ABA’s newest commission. Since launching in 2006 as a presidential initiative of former ABA President Karen Mathis, commission members and ABA staff members have mobilized to place a heightened emphasis on problems faced by at-risk youth. These are youth who face increased prospects of bleak futures and stand at high risk of entering the criminal and juvenile justice systems. There are numerous factors that exacerbate this risk including chaotic home lives, domestic violence, severe abuse, chronic neglect, serious unmet health needs, learning disabilities, gang involvement, and poor educational and employment options.

The Youth at Risk Commission is devoted to empowering the legal community in order to make a positive difference in the lives of at risk youth. Over the last two years, the Commission has generated several policy proposals that have been approved by the ABA House of Delegates, hosted approximately 30 community roundtables throughout the country, and engaged in several other initiatives to draw attention to legal and societal issues faced by youth and on solutions that the legal community can provide. By working together the legal community can make a profound difference!