Baker McKenzie's 8th Annual Children's Rights Summit takes place as part of the 2021 World Congress, a global event focused on the rights of children. We are honored to have been asked to present the summit as part of this global exchange.

This year's summit brings together criminal justice experts, lawyers, community leaders, and volunteers from a yearlong project stemming from last year's Children's Rights Summit, Real Rights. A series of exchanges examines issues of equity and equality in the justice system ― discussions will feature the lived experiences of young people of color, legal lessons learned from the Real Rights project, and a conversation about the path forward to a more just reality for young people everywhere.

The Children's Rights Summit brings together voices from across the globe and across disciplines ― this is by design. Great thinkers help solve challenging problems.

Listen: Lifting Up Lived Experiences

People with lived experience share what it is like to walk down the street and feel police can stop you as a person of color on any block and around any corner. We examine the equity of criminal justice, law enforcement, security forces and safety through the lens of youth, race, ethnicity and poverty.

Learn: Legal Lessons Learned from Real Rights

Does the law realize the rights of young people? Are their limits to police power to stop and search young people? Examining the rights of young children in many jurisdictions teaches lessons about the state of child rights locally, nationally, regionally and globally. Lawyers who have studied these rights in the Real Rights project will unpack select findings so far.

Lean In: Leading a Path Forward

Thought leaders share ideas for applying lessons learned from the Real Rights project to constructing a criminal justice system that is more fair and free of discrimination against children.

Participants were presented with opportunities to engage in pro bono work on the topics discussed following the event.