We worked with a middle school student and his mother to enforce the student’s educational rights after he had been suspended and recommended for expulsion. When we met our client, he had not received any at-home education or support for over a month as he awaited an expulsion hearing. The school district had also run the clock on the statutory time limit for notice of an expulsion hearing. Because our client was not receiving a free and appropriate education, we successfully negotiated his immediate return to the classroom in addition to compensatory education for the school days he missed. As this case came to an end, we reflected on the power of our voices as legal advocates and the importance of client-centered lawyering.

Spring 2023 Clinical Law Student Team: Susana Gutierrez and Rebecca Davis