Newly released report, Courting Judicial Excellence in Juvenile Justice: A 50-State Study, is a first of its kind analysis from the CSG Justice Center and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), supported by the State Justice Institute, that examines how courts in all 50 states that handle juvenile delinquency cases (“juvenile courts”) are structured and operate. The purpose of this report is to draw attention to the critical role that juvenile court judges play and the need to treat the juvenile court as a specialty of practice. The report is structured around five key recommendations, including the rationale, concrete policies and practices for states to adopt, and related state best practices and innovations for jurisdictions to consider. States can use the report to identify gaps in their juvenile court policies and practices, identify best practices and innovations from other states, and advance a set of policy and practice recommendations for court improvement.  

In addition to the report, key findings displayed across all 50 states can be found at the Juvenile Justice GPS (Geography, Policy Practice & Statistics). The information provides background on and visualizations of findings related to judicial selection; judicial specialization; how cases are assigned; and judicial experience, training, and tools provided to juvenile court judges.