On March 21, 2011, International Bridges to Justice successfully completed the drafting and publication of 1,040 copies of its Juvenile Training Manual for China.

This manual—the product of fruitful exchanges between legal academics, practicing attorneys, and IBJ staff over the past several months—will serve as a valuable resource for juvenile defenders in China, establishing a set of clear, practical guidelines for improving lawyers’ advocacy skills both in the courtroom and during other phases of trial.

The manual will be used by IBJ during trainings as well as by academics and practitioners in their work.  In addition, portions of the manual will be transformed into eLearning modules to ensure utilization by the broadest range of individuals, including attorneys who are unable to travel to IBJ’s in-person trainings.

The creation of the Juvenile Training Manual has been part of IBJ’s wider Juvenile Justice Program, which has included national conferences, research, and pilot projects in Shandong Province.  With hopes of building on its past successes in juvenile justice reform, IBJ plans to incorporate the manual in its future projects dealing with early access to counsel for juvenile defendants.

IBJ-trained and supported attorneys have long expressed the need for a comprehensive resource in the juvenile and criminal justice fields.  The Juvenile Training Manual not only satisfies this need, but will also help to achieve solidarity among lawyers and confidence in the rule of law in China. The Manual will also be published for wider distribution on IBJ’s China Criminal Defense Wiki.