Duration: Full-year clinic
Credits: 8 credits (4 credits per semester/letter grade)

Students will provide individual legal representation to children facing school exclusions to ensure that schools are providing children with all the substantive and procedural due process rights to which they are entitled. Students will advocate on behalf of indigent and low income children and their parents in school suspensions, expulsions and special education cases from Boston and outlying communities. The urgency of addressing the impact of school discipline laws is best reflected in the fact that exclusion from school for even short amounts of time is one of the top three reasons students give for dropping out of school. High school dropouts suffer lifelong disadvantages. The goal of this clinic is keeping our clients in school and making sure schools are providing the needed educational services to ensure the clients' successful completion of high school. Students will advocate on behalf of their clients at school meetings, school hearings, court hearings, administrative special education hearings and mediation and resolution sessions. In addition to individual casework, students will be responsible for approximately three intake days per month and may work on larger projects such as legislative advocacy, policy reports, or community education and outreach. The weekly seminar will focus on lawyering skills including client counseling, interviewing skills, factual investigation, applicable substantive law, professionalism and professional responsibility. Students will need to be available for a full day training on a Friday in September.

Questions: Contact Isabel Raskin, Practioner in Residence at iraskin@suffolk.edu