A senior attorney at San Francisco's Legal Services for Children explains that the best defense for juvenile offenders is to avoid referral to a juvenile court, to minimize court intervention, and to avoid incarceration. Options for handling intake conferences and detention and disposition hearings are reviewed. A Cook County, Ill., juvenile court prosecutor explains that preparation is the most important part of a prosecutor's job and outlines the differences between preparation for adult cases and that for juvenile cases, where greater variety exists in available charges and dispositions. Prosecutors should be fully aware of the characteristics of available treatment and rehabilitation resources. A table of contents is included.