Special Education Project – Case Work with Texas Law INCLUDE Project

Students will help children and families navigate the special education process by serving as advocates and advisors to those who have encountered difficulties securing accommodations for a “free and appropriate public education.” Students will work in teams under the supervision of an attorney on tasks that may include reviewing relevant documents, conducting legal research, analyzing potential claims/demands for service, and preparing detailed case plans for parents.

Organization

INCLUDE Project, Mithoff Pro Bono Program

The INCLUDE Project enables students to provide free legal serves to persons with disabilities and their families. INCLUDE is an internal project of the Richard and Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Program, in partnership with the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law.

Project Details

Project Start Date

September 2020

Approximate hours of work requested
Students should expect to spend between 5-10 hours per week on a case, with the lifespan for a case ranging anywhere from a couple of weeks to a semester or more; after training, students will be assigned to cases on a rolling basis as referrals are received; student schedules will be considered when assigning cases
Training
Wednesday, September 23, 5pm-8pm (Zoom link on Canvas site)
Skills used
Fact-gathering and record review; client interviewing/counseling; oral and written advocacy; administrative meeting preparation and strategy; creative problem-solving; legal research and writing
Project location
Virtual
Number of student volunteers requested
10
Class year preference
1L, 2L, 3L, LLM
Required skills
Strong English skills required; Spanish helpful but not necessary; students with an interest in social justice, education, and/or disability law are strongly encouraged to apply
To Apply
Submit email stating interest, any language skills, and any work experience touching on education or disability to Sarah Sedgwick at ssedgwick@law.utexas.edu; applications received by noon on Wednesday, September 16 will receive priority consideration