Law student volunteers will assist University of North Texas students and their families (or other caregivers/supporters) in learning about guardianship and alternatives to guardianship, with an emphasis on an option in state law to enter into Supported Decision-Making (SDM) agreements. Students will provide direct counseling to young adults on alternatives to guardianship and will lead SDM role-playing exercises. SDM agreements and other alternatives to guardianship allow individuals with disabilities to maintain maximum control over their lives and avoid unnecessary and costly probate proceedings.
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. Through INCLUDE, law students have counseled more than 400 families on guardianship alternatives since the 2015 passage of the Texas Supported Decision Making Act, a law that is the first of its kind nationally and that incorporates certain protections afforded by the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Texas Law. 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 18-19, 2021; Monday, January 18, 10am-12pm (UNT student session); Monday, January 18, 1pm-2:30pm (joint session for UNT students and their supporters); AND Tuesday, January 19, 10am-10:45am (debrief); volunteers must be available for all 3 sessions
- Approximate hours of work requested
- 8 hours, including training and self-study
- Training
- Monday, January 18, 8am-9:30am (Zoom link on Canvas site)
- Skills used
- Client interviewing/counseling; community education/outreach; mediating between those with divergent interests; cultural competence
- Project location
- Virtual
- Number of student volunteers requested
- 8
- Class year preference
- 1L, 2L, 3L, LLM
- Required skills
- Strong English skills required; Spanish helpful but not necessary; students with an interest in probate and disability law are strongly encouraged to apply
- To Apply
- Register at https://untpbj21.eventbrite.com