Christopher Northrop

Professor of Law, Emeritus
Director, Rural Practice Clinic

christopher.northrop@maine.edu

Download Curriculum Vitae

300 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101

Education

B.A., Grinnell College
J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law

Current Courses

Practice Clinic

Research Interests

Clinical Practice
Juvenile Law

Research Blog

The end of indiscriminate shackling of children in Maine Juvenile Court

In the Media

For Young Offenders, Restitution Deb ts Can Present Crippling Obstacles (The New York Times)
Long Creek administrator placed on administrative leave, investigation launched (Press Herald)
Long Creek juvenile center’s mental health protocols questioned after suicide (Press Herald)
Death of Suicidal Transgender Teen Was Preventable According to His Mother (Maine Public Radio)
How the criminal justice system often fails poor children (Bangor Daily News)
Maine Courts Barred from Shackling Most Juveniles, Thanks to Student Effort (MPBN)

Christopher Northrop is a leading authority in the area of juvenile law. In 2006, he launched the Juvenile Justice Clinic at Maine Law, under the umbrella of the school’s Clinics at Maine Law. In 2022 he helped transition the Juvenile Justice Clinic to the Youth Justice Clinic, then Professor Northrop shifts his focus to general and rural practice. He was instrumental in the creation of Maine Law’s Rural Practice Clinic, and currently serves as the Supervising Professor in Fort Kent. Starting in September 2024, Professor Northrop retired from full-time professor at Maine Law and was conferred Emeritus status.

In 2018, Professor Northrop was awarded the prestigious Robert E. Shepherd Jr. Leadership Award for Excellence in Juvenile Defense. This national award is presented annually for outstanding advocacy and dedication in the field of juvenile defense. In 2017, he was awarded the “Unsung Hero Award” during the annual meeting of the Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. This award is presented annually to one criminal defense attorney who best exemplifies the highest level of commitment, passion, and the tireless pursuit of justice in the representation of indigent defendants.

Prior to joining Maine Law, Professor Northrop spent many years in private practice concentrating on youth defense work. He has been involved with the Gault Center since its inception and has served as a consultant for Gault Center assessments of statewide defender systems in twelve states, including New Hampshire and Kansas in 2019. The Gault Center recognized Professor Northrop in 2013 as one of their first Juvenile Training Immersion Program (JTIP) certified trainers. In the last few years, he has taught JTIP protocols to public defenders throughout the state and around the country.

Selected Publications

What's My Age Again?: Adolescent Development and the Case for Expanding Original Juvenile Court Jurisdiction and Investing in Alternatives for Emerging Adult Involved in Maine's Justice System, 74 Me. L. Rev. 243 (2022). Co-authors: Jill Ward, Jon Ruterbories, Jess Mizzi. [PDF]

Kids Will be Kids: Time for a “Reasonable Child” Standard for the Proof of Objective Mens Rea Elements, 69 ME. L. REV. 109 (2017) (with Kristina R. Rozan). [PDF]

NAT’L JUV. DEFENSE CTR., JUVENILE TRAINING IMMERSION PROGRAM: COORDINATOR AND TRAINER’S GUIDE (2014) (Member, Drafting and Review Committee). [PDF]

NAT’L JUV. DEFENSE CTR., MISSOURI: JUSTICE RATIONED, AN ASSESSMENT OF ACCESS TO COUNSEL AND QUALITY OF JUVENILE DEFENSE REPRESENTATION IN DELINQUENCY PROCEEDINGS (2013) (investigator, contributor). [PDF]

NAT’L JUV. DEFENSE CTR., NATIONAL JUVENILE DEFENSE STANDARDS (Sue Burrell et. al, eds., 2012) (Member, Drafting and Review Committee).

NAT’L JUV. DEFENSE CTR., JUVENILE LEGAL DEFENSE: A REPORT ON ACCESS TO AND QUALITY OF REPRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN IN NEBRASKA (2009) (investigator, contributor).

Additional Publications

NAT’L JUV. DEFENSE CTR., ILLINOIS: AN ASSESSMENT OF ACCESS TO COUNSEL & QUALITY OF REPRESENTATION IN DELINQUENCY PROCEEDINGS (2007) (investigator, contributor). [PDF]

PATRICIA PURITZ & ROBIN WALKER, NAT’L JUV. DEFENSE CTR., MISSISSIPPI: AN ASSESSMENT OF ACCESS TO COUNSEL & QUALITY OF REPRESENTATION IN YOUTH COURT PROCEEDINGS (2007) (investigator, contributor). [PDF]

Lisa H Thurau-Gray, N.E. Juv. Defender Ctr., Troubled Kids, Troubled Courts: A Call to New England’s Juvenile Court Judges and State Policymakers, 9 JUV. JUST. UPDATE (2003) (contributor).