Apply now for the 2024 YDAP Summer Academy! Applications are due by 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Late applications will not be considered.

The Gault Center (formerly The National Juvenile Defender Center) and Georgetown Law are partnering to host the Youth Defender Advocacy Program (YDAP) Summer Academy, a one-week intensive training program for youth defenders.

YDAP is a training curriculum that recognizes youth defense as a specialized practice and enhances the capacity of youth defenders to provide high-quality representation to their clients at every stage of the delinquency system. YDAP provides both substantive legal analysis and skills training. It was developed by the Gault Center, in collaboration with experts and leaders in the youth defense community from around the country, along with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Models for Change Initiative.

The YDAP Summer Academy is intended for both new and experienced youth defenders. It will equip new defenders with the skills they need to zealously represent their youth clients. More experienced defenders will have the opportunity to refine their skills and heighten their effectiveness by tailoring their defense strategies to the unique aspects of delinquency representation.

The YDAP Summer Academy will be open to a limited number of participants each year.

You may direct any inquiries regarding the YDAP Summer Academy to Rebba Omer.