YOUTH JUSTICE POLICY COUNSEL at CHILDREN’S LAW CENTER

Children's Law Center, Inc. (CLC) is a nonprofit legal service center that protects the rights of children and youth — so they can grow up in safe, healthy ways. We achieve our mission through direct legal assistance, policy reform, community education, and information & referral.

Established in 1989, CLC offers vital advocacy in the child welfare system, justice system, education system, and beyond. CLC provides services in Kentucky and Ohio, while collaborating with regional and national organizations on youth law and policy. We invite you to join our passionate, caring, and knowledgeable team.

Overview:

Children’s Law Center is seeking a strategic, experienced attorney to help lead statewide youth justice policy efforts in Ohio while growing our local work in Greater Columbus and/or Greater Cleveland. CLC currently has projects in both communities, and this role will support them—helping to prioritize projects, deepen certain existing projects, and expand into new ones.

This is a unique opportunity for a values-aligned attorney—particularly one with experience in juvenile-justice courtrooms—who wants to lead systems-change work while continuing to occasionally represent young people. Policy and advocacy are the heart of the role, alongside a smaller, growing direct-services practice that keeps our policy work grounded in the experiences of youth and families.

Location & Travel:

The position is remote, but we seek candidates based in (or able to relocate to) Ohio—particularly Greater Columbus or Greater Cleveland, with a preference for Columbus. Some in-person work is required, including Statehouse and stakeholder meetings in Columbus, client and community work in the attorney’s home region, and occasional travel to and around Columbus/Cleveland and other parts of Ohio. Must have access to a reliable vehicle, high-speed internet, and a mobile phone. A Columbus-based attorney would support CLC's growing focus on Columbus.

Team & Supervision:

CLC’s headquarters is in Covington, KY, from which team members work in Cincinnati, OH, and Northern Kentucky, and travel throughout both states. This position is supervised by the CLC Executive Director and Deputy Director, who are both based in Covington/Cincinnati. CLC also has team members in Lexington and a team member based in Columbus (an Equal Justice Works Fellow, 2026 law graduate, leading a 2-year project). This position would supervise the Fellow’s Columbus-based work. CLC does not currently have other staff in Cleveland.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead youth justice policy advocacy efforts focused on preventing youth transfer to adult court, improving detention conditions, promoting community-based alternatives, and ending deep-end punishments. This includes efforts to:
• Advance CLC’s work to reduce bindover (transfer of youth to adult court) through legal

and policy research, legislative and administrative advocacy, coalition-building, and public

education—including helping advance CLC’s bindover storytelling project, an artistic

multimedia exhibit that shares the experiences of young people tried as adults.

• Advance the Recommendations of the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Working Group,

working with state leaders, agencies, and partners to move aligned recommendations into

law, policy, and practice across Ohio.

• Conduct legal analysis and policy research on state and local legislation, case law, and systemic

practices.

• Plan and facilitate stakeholder meetings, including statewide policy network meetings and

targeted advocacy/lobbying meetings; engage impacted youth and families, community partners,

legislators, and system actors to co-create solutions that are just, youth-centered, and racially

equitable.

• Track and influence legislation, including drafting testimony, providing expert analysis, and

representing the organization in policy coalitions and workgroups.

• Create and disseminate policy content such as reports, fact sheets, legislative briefs, and public

education materials.

• Serve as a public voice, including speaking to the media, authoring opinion pieces, and educating

communities about youth justice reform.

• Build and expand direct services in Columbus or Cleveland (depending on where the candidate is

based), which could include education advocacy, record sealing and expungement, and victims’

rights representation—carrying a modest caseload that also informs CLC’s policy priorities.

• Strengthen CLC’s Columbus and Cleveland projects, helping to prioritize and deepen current

work and identify new opportunities that respond to community needs.

• Supervise/mentor interns, law students, and CLC’s Columbus-based Equal Justice Works Fellow.
• Collaborate with youth and families impacted by the justice system, including visits to youth and

adult facilities.

Current Priorities

• Ending transfer of youth to adult court (bindover) and reducing extreme sentencing for children.
• Promoting restorative and community-based responses to youth behavior.
• Improving conditions in juvenile and adult facilities housing youth.
• Combating the adultification of youth and harmful public narratives around youth justice
• Advancing recommendations of the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Working Group, especially to reduce

the number of youth entering DYS.

• Expanding direct legal services for youth in Columbus (potentially also Cleveland, depending on

applicant location).

Qualifications

• J.D. and ability to practice in Ohio (or eligibility to waive in) is required.
• 3–7 years of experience as a legal practitioner in juvenile defense, prosecution, or closely related

work is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated passion and commitment to youth justice and racial equity.
• Strong skills in legal writing, public speaking, and systems-level thinking.
• Proven ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders—from community members to elected

officials.

• Self-directed, highly organized, and comfortable with remote work.
• Experience with policy advocacy or legislative work is a plus but not required—training and

support available for mission-aligned candidates making a transition.

• Supervisory or mentoring experience, and experience in education law, record sealing, or victims’

rights law, are a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Employer-supported health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution.
• 20 days paid time off annually, plus holidays.

This is more than a job—it’s a chance to transform systems that impact Ohio’s most vulnerable youth. If you’ve advocated for kids in the courtroom and are ready to shape the policies that define their futures—while continuing to stand beside young people as their lawyer—we want to hear from you.

Application: Please send a resume and letter of interest to Jennifer Blanford at jblanford@reflexrecruiting.com. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

CLC is an equal-opportunity employer. People who have experienced systemic exclusion—including based

on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, and those who are formerly incarcerated or justice-

system-impacted—are encouraged to apply. CLC considers applications from all qualified individuals without

regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin,

marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.