In this one-semester, multi-disciplinary, graded clinic, law students will assist children with special needs and their families in special education matters. This may include eligibility meetings, Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, discipline matters, mediation, administrative hearings, and Court proceedings. Clinic skills include interviewing, counseling, problem solving, informal advocacy, and negotiation. Students will identify obstacles, defuse emotions, and clarify legal issues. They will learn how to put a case together for a successful outcome. In this clinic, the students will also teach parents effective advocacy and negotiation skills. Students must take Special Education Law and Advocacy prior to or, concurrently in spring 2009, with their participation in the clinic. Students will be graded on the quality of their work in educating families, representing clients and handling cases, their ability to work collaboratively with other students in the clinic and those from other disciplines, and their written case studies and plans. Students will be required to attend case study and analysis classes, and to work on clinic cases and assist clinic operations for 8 hours each week, exclusive of case rounds and meetings with the supervising attorney. This is a 3 credit graded clinic.
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