Educational Advocacy Lab

Catalog description

This experiential course explores the intersections between racism, poverty, disability, mental health, gender, and juvenile justice through the lens of education law. As part of their work in this class, law students will participate in simulations and exercises as well as conducting intakes with parents and students who seeking assistance from a free legal helpline for K-12 families facing educational barriers in school. The goal of the intakes is to identify families' legal issues relating to education and support advocacy related to children's educational rights in discipline, special education, bullying, language access, and school enrollment. These intakes will help elucidate the topics covered in the seminar portion of the class which grapples with how school systems historically oppressed low-income students of color and students with disabilities, the laws that were put in place in an attempt to mitigate these harms, and the practices that continue to disproportionately disengage vulnerable populations from school. By the end of the course, you should be able to: 1) describe the laws that protect students in K-12 schools; 2) conduct a culturally competent intake; and 3) illustrate ways that one can effectively advocate for educational equity in schools. This Educational Advocacy Lab course is a prospective elective course and is open to 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, and 4Ls.