The Spirit of Youth Award recognizes a young adult who has made great strides following involvement with the juvenile justice system; has overcome personal obstacles; and is making significant contributions to society.

Nomination form

Recognizing the ever-changing landscape and the increasing challenges that face justice systems committed to achieving the promise of “equality before the law”, the National Consortium brings together thought leaders and delegates of state justice systems from around the country to share their collective knowledge about best practices within their court systems for achieving fairness and access to justice for all. The National Consortium invites conference attendees to promote the work of institutional change locally by applying the lessons learned and tools acquired through this national exchange of engaging ideas, practical strategies, and concrete solutions. The conference offers a fantastic agenda filled with nationally renowned speakers on a broad range of topics related to: addressing language barriers, enhancing diversity and cultural competence, addressing racial disparities, and building the capacity to effect change. Click here for the full program

Registration: The conference has been accredited for 13.5 hours of JBE/CLE Ethics Credits for attorneys and Judges in Nebraska and  13.5 CEUs for Law Enforcement and County Attorneys, and many hours also meet the standards for CEUs for social workers (credit can be requested for any participating state). Thanks to the generosity of our conference sponsors we are able to offer the conference at a rate of $225 for attorneys and judges needing CLE credit (which includes meals and is less than $20 per credit hour) and only $100 for all other system professionals (interpreters, probation officers, law enforcement, social workers, researchers, etc.). One day options are also available. Please join us for this opportunity to network with thought leaders and delegates of state justice systems from across the country. Registration is also available online on the Nebraska State Bar Association’s website: https://m360.nebar.com/event.aspx?eventID=42201

Social Programs: In addition to exceptional programming, the conference will be offering several social/cultural events including an evening reception at the Durham Museum on May 11th. Originally designed as Omaha’s “Union Station” in the 1930s, the Durham is one of finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the United States. The Museum offers a fascinating look at the history of the region and a broad-range of traveling exhibits.  We have also taken advantage of the opportunity to combine our conference with the State of Nebraska’s Annual Chief Standing Bear Celebration on May 12, which celebrates the life of Ponca Chief Standing Bear and the 133rd anniversary of the landmark Standing Bear v Crook Decision, which declared Native Americans people under the law (registration includes these events).

Download NJJA Conference Brochure here. Or you can signup for the conference online!