FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2020
Contact:
Christopher Vasquez, NCLR Communications Director
cvasquez@nclrights.org / (415) 365-1337
Juvenile Law Center Awards National Center for Lesbian Rights’ Youth Policy Project Director Shannan Wilber its Prestigious 2020 Leadership Prize
PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Juvenile Law Center (JLC) today announced that NCLR’s Youth Policy Director Shannan Wilber will be one of three recipients of its prestigious Leadership Prize for 2020. The prize is awarded to individuals who are “leading lights whose inspirational careers are beacons for future generations and whose work has substantially improved the lives of youth,” according to JLC’s statement.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this award from the Juvenile Law Center,” said Shannan Wilber, “it is a privilege to advocate for our nation’s most vulnerable young people, particularly alongside passionate and accomplished colleagues who are my teachers and allies. I share this award with them, and with the young people who inspire us every day.”
The award presentation on May 14, 2020, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA, will coincide with JLC’s 45th-anniversary celebration. According to JLC, the Leadership Award is given to “outstanding individuals” whose work has “substantially improved the lives of the country’s most vulnerable youth.”
“Shannan is not only a fierce advocate for LGBTQ youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems but a visionary who has championed new approaches to addressing the root causes that lead to so many LGBTQ young people ending up in these damaging and discriminatory systems,” said Shannon Minter, NCLR’s Legal Director. “In addition to being one of the nation’s leading experts on LGBTQ youth issues, Shannan has been at the forefront of creating upstream solutions to keep LGBTQ youth in their homes and communities. It is an honor to work with her, and I am delighted that the Juvenile Law Center–one of our nation’s premier youth advocacy organizations—has recognized her leadership in such a meaningful way.”
Shannan will be honored alongside Stephen K. Harper, Assistant Clinical Professor at Florida International University College of Law, and Sherry Lachman, Founder and Executive Director of Foster America. Bios for all three awardees were provided by JLC on their website.
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The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Since its founding, NCLR has maintained a longstanding commitment to racial and economic justice and the LGBTQ community’s most vulnerable. www.NCLRights.org
Juvenile Law Center (JLC) advocates for rights, dignity, equity and opportunity for youth in the foster care and justice systems. Founded in 1975, Juvenile Law Center is the first non-profit, public interest law firm for children in the country. We fight for youth through litigation, appellate advocacy and submission of amicus (friend-of-the-court) briefs, policy reform, public education, training, consulting, and strategic communications. Widely published and internationally recognized as leaders in the field, Juvenile Law Center has substantially shaped the development of law and policy on behalf of youth. We strive to ensure that laws, policies, and practices affecting youth advance racial and economic equity and are rooted in research, consistent with children’s unique developmental characteristics, and reflective of international human rights values. For more information about Juvenile Law Center’s work, visit www.JLC.org.
