When abuse happens in a youth detention center, it’s not always obvious who did it. And even when it is, that’s not the only thing that’s important when you file a claim. The harder question is who allowed it to happen, and it’s part of the reason why these types of cases are so complicated.

When it comes to student survivors, regardless of whether they suffered sexual abuse within the university grounds or outside, we have to account for the long-term damage they’ve suffered (physical, and more importantly, psychological).

They could be dealing with trauma, disrupted education, no trust in authority figures, aggressive behavior, short temper, disinterest, depression, etc. These are all harmful both for their education and their everyday life. This makes it clear that the entire legality of this all is only part of the problem.

It could be one single staff member (or another student) who’s actually guilty, but the case is bigger than them.

There may be problems with the hiring process and supervision; perhaps there were complaints that were ignored, or maybe the facility wasn’t able to protect the people in their care. On top of all that, you also have to figure out if the facility is run by the state, the county, or a private contractor, and when you do, things get even more complicated.

That’s why you have to make sure that the lawyer you choose has experience with institutional abuse.

And if you don’t know where to start looking, you’re in the right place. Read on.

Top Youth Detention Sexual Abuse Lawyers

When you want to follow up with the legal side of things in order to hold the offender accountable for their actions, you want to hire a law firm who has both experience in sexual abuse cases, as well knowledge of how to deal with institutions – more precisely, educational settings.

Here are the best ones available in the state of Arkansas:

Injury Lawyer Team

Injury Lawyer Team Arkansas legal team is very easy to research, and you can get to know a great deal about them without actually getting in touch with anyone. They have a page on Arkansas, and it’s about this exact issue. It’s not sexual abuse in general but about sexual abuse in youth detention facilities. They name facilities like the Arkansas Juvenile Assessment and Treatment Center, Dermott Juvenile Treatment Center, and other county detention centers.

The practice is led by Jonathan Rosenfeld, who has 25 years of experience in personal injury. The firm also works with lawyers who handle cases of sexual abuse and institutional cases across the country.

That includes claims involving detention centers, schools, churches, and youth programs.

Gillispie Law Firm

Gillispie Law Firm has an office in North Little Rock, and Joshua Gillispie has represented plaintiffs in cases of abuse in juvenile facilities in Arkansas.

In 2024, Gillispie was involved in lawsuits that involved sexual abuse at 2 juvenile detention centers in Arkansas. He has also worked on litigation surrounding The Lord’s Ranch in Warm Springs, where several former residents have accused staff members of sexually abusing them when they were children.

As you can see, his connection to Arkansas is anything but theoretical.

Gillespie Law Firm also handles other childhood sexual abuse claims, with some even involving churches. There’s quite a bit of detail about current cases in Arkansas on their website, so you can see what kind of work they’re doing before you decide whether you want to contact them or not.

Gould Grieco & Hensley

If you read about the litigation involving The Lord’s Ranch in Arkansas, you’ll see another name next to Gillispie’s – Martin Gould. He worked along with Gillispie and represents dozens of former residents, all of whom have said that they were abused there as children.

But his experience goes beyond Arkansas. Gould has litigated in more than 25 state and federal jurisdictions, and a big part of his practice focuses on sexual abuse that happens in institutions (e.g., schools, residential programs, etc.). He has also worked on big cases that involve youth detention outside of Arkansas, including the litigation involving former detainees in Los Angeles County.

If you visit their website, you’ll find details about the causes the firm’s lawyers are working on. There are named cases, the role for each attorney, settlements, and current litigation.

Basically, it doesn’t look like any other generic “We fight for survivors” kind of website.

Levy Konigsberg

This isn’t a law firm based in Arkansas, but abuse in juvenile detention is a big part of their work. That’s important to remember, especially when you know that the state of Arkansas allows you to file a claim 3 years after noticing the effects of childhood sexual abuse. In other words, these cases can get very complicated, particularly when a lot of time has passed since the abuse happened, and you want someone with plenty of experience to represent you.

Levy Konigsberg has that experience. They represent claims of sexual abuse that involve juvenile detention centers, prisons, residential treatment facilities, schools, and other institutions. They also have a practice specifically for Arkansas, where survivors of abuse can file civil claims against their abusers and organizations.

The firm has filed juvenile detention center lawsuits in other parts of the country as well, so they have the track record to back up their claims.

Conclusion

Remember that the most important thing here is what you can verify. You want cold, hard facts, not dramatic claims. If you see big numbers and bold statements on a website, take a few minutes and make sure they’re true.

There’s no law firm that’s perfect for everyone, but you have to agree that they should all be telling the truth, right?