Students will assist young adults with disability transitioning out of special education programs and their families (or other caregivers/supporters) in learning about guardianship and alternatives to it, with an emphasis on a new option in state law to enter into Supported Decision Making (SDM) agreements. Students will provide direct counseling of transitioning youth on alternatives to guardianship, and will assist in drafting and executing SDM agreements where appropriate and desired. 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. Since 2015, UT Law students have counseled more than 300 families on guardianship alternatives following the 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.
Organization
INCLUDE Project, Mithoff Pro Bono Program
The INCLUDE Project enables students with interests in disability and probate law to provide free legal services to persons with disabilities and their families. Through INCLUDE, law students have counseled more than 300 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 Date
Monday, September 24
- Project Time
- 4pm-9:30pm
- Approximate hours of work requested
- 6.5 hours, including training
- Training
- Monday, September 17, 6pm-8pm, in TNH 2.124
- Skills used
- Client interviewing/counseling; community education/outreach; mediating between those with divergent interests; cultural competence; document preparation
- Project location
- San Marcos High School, 2601 Rattler Rd. San Marcos, TX 78666; students will carpool to the project location
- Number of student volunteers requested
- 12
- 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 sdmsanmarcosf18.eventbrite.com