Make law a superpower for youth leaders.

Welcome to Peer Defense

We develop free legal education, networks, and technical assistance so that youth leaders and their trusted adult allies can use the law for youth power and justice. *You must be 13 years or older to use this website.

Youth face injustice every day.

The United States incarcerates more children than any other country in the world. The largest school systems in our country remain the most racially segregated. Young people live as the poorest age group in America, with children of color, children under five, children of single mothers, and children in the South suffering from the highest poverty rates.  Over 90% of the civil legal of low income youth go unmet. All of this is happening on a planet in a climate crisis, devastating marginalized communities.

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In the face of these intersecting injustices, thousands of young people have mobilized and protested— more than ever before. Peer Defense Project works so that all young people can use the law in their fight for justice and for their lives.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities!

  • NLG 2024 #Law4ThePeople Convention

    Register for the NLG 2024 #Law4ThePeople Convention on October 30th to November 3rd, in Birmingham, Alabama! The conference will be hybrid and our very own Sa'Real McRae and Ashley Sawyer will be presenting on including youth legal workers in movement lawyering spaces!

    Register

Disclaimer

Do not use this site to replace a lawyer or share private information. Do not use this site if you are under 13 years old.

The tools and services we provide are not intended to create an attorney-client relationship between you or PDP. The information provided in the educational materials and community meetings is not intended to constitute legal advice and should not be substituted for the advice of or in lieu of consultation with an attorney. PDP seeks to keep information up-to-date and accurate but cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information. PDP disclaims any liability for errors that may be contained in its public education materials and community-facilitated meetings and shall not be responsible for any damages, consequential or actual, arising out of or in connection with the use of this information. PDP makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the quality, content, accuracy, or completeness of the information, text graphics, links, and other items in its public education materials and community-facilitated meetings. Different states also have very different laws from the ones we might discuss in our public education materials and community-facilitated meetings.