Michael Pope

Hosted by Youth Represent
Sponsored by The Morrison & Foerster Foundation
Service location New York, New York
Law school Brooklyn Law School
Issue area Children/Youth, Civil Rights/Civil Liberties, Criminal Justice Reform
Fellowship class year 2010
Program AmeriCorps Fellows Program, Design Your Own Fellowship

The Project

Indigent youth reentering society after a criminal conviction face an overwhelming number of legal challenges. They can be suspended from school, evicted from public housing, and discriminated against during employment. With no right to counsel after conviction, they face these challenges alone. Michael established the “Community Youth Reentry Project” to provide legal representation for youth during this essential time. Michael provided youth with unique and holistic support to successfully transition from courthouse to the community.

Next Steps

Following his Fellowship, Michael continued his career at Youth Represent. He was promoted to Director of Community Partnerships in 2012, Legal Director in 2015, and Executive Director in 2019.

As Executive Director, Michael leads an incredible staff that provides community-based legal representation to youth, aged 24 and under, who have been involved in the criminal justice system and assists them to lift legal barriers that prevent successful reentry. Michael has received a Presidential Appointment to serve as Board Member for the American Bar Association’s Commission on Youth at Risk and is Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice Section’s Juvenile Justice Committee.