Washington State Juvenile Non-Offender Benchbook

FYJP publishes the Washington State Juvenile Non-Offender Benchbook (“Benchbook”) which outlines the state and federal statutory requirements for judicial officers hearing cases involving the welfare of children. The Benchbook contains topical sections as well as statutory and case law citations, including hyperlinks. This is an invaluable resource for judicial officers presiding over cases involving youth. Benchbook chapters are available to read online or download as a PDF.  Chapters can be accessed using the navigation side bar on the right.

Revisions to the Benchbook are overseen by the Benchbook Advisory Group (BAG). Members of this multi-disciplinary partnership coordinate with subject matter experts to author/revise Benchbook chapter content and take an active role in the editing process. The BAG meetings annually, after the close of legislative session, to identify needed updates to chapter content.

While the Benchbook was originally designed for and is primarily used by judicial officers, many attorneys and other child welfare system partners may also find it to be informative and helpful. The first iteration of the Benchbook was published in 2011. While select chapters have been updated since that time, many of the chapters are awaiting revision. FYJP is actively working with the BAG to prioritize updates of the Benchbook in 2026.