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 or a “free and appropriate public education.” Students will work in teams under the supervision of an attorney to review relevant documents, conduct legal research, analyze potential claims/demands for service, and prepare detailed case plans for parents.
Organization
INCLUDE Project, Mithoff Pro Bono Program
The INCLUDE Project enables students with interests in disability and probate law 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
January 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 the entire semester; student schedules will be considered when assigning cases
- Training
- Wednesday, January 29, 11:45am-12:45pm, in TNH 3.126; additional specialized training will be provided once cases are assigned
- 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
- Students will work with Prof. Lucy Wood at the law school; students also may work with parents at schools and other locations
- Number of student volunteers requested
- 14
- 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