Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Jen Coatsworth released the following statement in memory of Juvenile Law Center co-founder Robert Schwartz, who died Oct. 8. Founded in 1975 by Schwartz and three other recent graduates of Temple law school, Juvenile Law Center is the oldest nonprofit public interest law firm for children in the U.S. Schwartz served as its executive director from 1982-2015 and continued to serve as director emeritus until his death.
“Our community was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bob Schwartz, a pioneering advocate for children who spent his more than 40 year career advocating for the rights of youth not just here in Pennsylvania, but nationally and internationally,” Coatsworth said. “Bob was also a valued member of our Association, including serving as a speaker and moderator at events, and lending his deep legal knowledge to our public interest and access to justice efforts.”
“In 1996, our Public Interest Section honored him with what is now known as the Bending the ARC Award for ‘exemplary service in the public interest.’ In 2011, our Criminal Justice Section recognized Bob and fellow Juvenile Law Center co-founder and current chief legal officer Marsha Levick with its Thurgood Marshall Award. That award was in honor of Juvenile Law Center’s efforts to seek justice for children and families impacted by what has become known as the ‘kids for cash’ scandal in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.”
“Bob was also a visiting scholar at Temple University; the former chair of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Youth at Risk, and the author of two ABA reports on youth access to justice; he visited South Africa in 1993 to help develop a legal system for children there,” Coatsworth said. “He worked tirelessly to give children a voice in the legal system. Bob's legacy will be the untold number of lives that were improved due to his advocacy, and all those who will be helped in the future due to Juvenile Law Center’s existence. He will be greatly missed.”
