This quarter, we represented a middle school student and his family in response to his school district’s ongoing use of punitive and exclusionary discipline practices. Through our advocacy in multiple Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, we secured critical supports and services tailored to our client’s educational and behavioral needs, including a Behavior Intervention Plan, increased time in Specialized Academic Instruction, and mental health services extending throughout the summer months.

We also coordinated closely with our client’s juvenile defender to ensure that his newly-implemented educational and mental health services could be considered in his juvenile court proceedings to support a favorable resolution in our client’s case. In addition, we connected our client and his family with our clinic’s social worker, who helped increase their access to financial assistance and community resources. Through this multidisciplinary approach, we worked to strengthen the systems of support surrounding our client to position him for long-term success both in and out of school.

Spring 2026 Clinical Team: William Reed and Mariah Barrios