Elizabeth (Betsy) Clarke

Elizabeth (Betsy) Clarke is the founder and President of the Juvenile Justice Initiative. Prior to developing the Juvenile Justice Initiative, Betsy served as Juvenile Justice Counsel for the Office of the Cook County Public Defender for six years, and served for 15 years in the Office of the State Appellate Defender, including appointments as Legislative Liaison and Juvenile Justice Coordinator.

Betrsy is the co-founder and director of the Midwest Juvenile Defender Center, a co-founder of the North American Council on Juvenile Justice, an advisory board member of the National Juvenile Defender Center, and a co-founder and active member of the National Juvenile Justice Network.   She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and serves on both the Child Law and Legislative Committees.

Betsy is a frequent speaker and has authored numerous articles, including the chapter on Appellate Review in the IICLE Juvenile Law Handbook, and a detailed study of the Illinois juvenile transfer provisions published in the National Journal of the Juvenile and Family Court Judge’s Association. She has been honored by numerous local and national organizations, and was named a “Champion for Change” in 2009 by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and a national Youth Advocate by the National Juvenile Justice Network in 2013. You can contact Betsy at [email protected] or (847) 864-1567.