The National Center for Juvenile Justice (the Center) is a private, non-profit organization.

Since its inception in 1973, the Center has been a resource for independent and original research on topics related directly and indirectly to the field of juvenile justice. Although the Center is the research division of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, it has its own budget and is responsible for generating its own operating funds.

With substantial support from public and private sources over the years, the Center has developed resources and capacities which render it unique in the world of juvenile justice research. The Center consists of three departments: Systems Research, Applied Research, and Legal Research.