More Than a Name: The Gault Center and the Future of Youth Defense

FEATURING Mary Ann Scali

Episode Description

What does it actually mean to defend a young person’s rights? In this episode, our Executive Director John Tuell speaks with Mary Ann Scali, Executive Director at The Gault Center to explore nearly 30 years of evolution in the fight for youth justice. We talk about the 1967 Supreme Court ruling that gave the organization its name, why In re Gault remains as relevant as ever as we mark its 60th anniversary, and what it looks like when youth defenders are doing this work at its best; meeting young people where they are, strengthening connections to community, and pushing back against a system that too often pulls youth deeper in rather than offering a way out. From the tools and resources TGC provides to defenders on the ground, to the bold reforms on the horizon like reimagining probation, this conversation is a window into what genuine, rights-based youth defense looks like in practice, and why it matters now more than ever.
SEASON FIVE: Episode Two | RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2026

About the GuesT

Mary Ann Scali

Executive Director | The Gault Center

Mary Ann Scali serves as the Executive Director of The Gault Center, where she works with youth defenders and advocates dedicated to promoting justice for all children by ensuring excellence in youth defense. After working as a summer law clerk for the National Juvenile Defender Center in 1996, Mary Ann became the deputy director in 2000 and the executive director in 2017.

In partnership with The Gault Center team and youth defense leaders, Mary Ann delivers youth defense training and technical assistance, conducts state-level youth defense assessments, and facilitates cross-disciplinary reform efforts aimed at developing resources and policies to strengthen youth defense and access to justice for all youth.

Prior to joining The Gault Center, Mary Ann defended youth in the juvenile division of the Office of the Public Defender in Baltimore City, MD; spent two years teaching high school in Pohnpei, Micronesia; served in the Jesuit Refugee Service in Rome, Italy; and taught Baltimore City boys at the Baraka School in Nanyuki, Kenya. Mary Ann holds a JD and MSW from Loyola University Chicago, where she was a CIVITAS Childlaw Fellow.