There is very little published case law in the area of school discipline so when the Natomas Unified case went up on appeal amicus support was critical. The Youth and Education Law Project, along with California Rural Legal Assistance and Legal Services for Children, authored a brief on behalf of the of California legal non-profits that represent students in expulsion proceedings. The brief focussed on the importance of due process protections, including the right of appeal, in these cases and the lack of legal representation available to most families.

The appeal resulted in an excellent published decision which affirmed due process protections and the need to use other alternatives to expulsion whenever possible. The decision has already been extremely helpful in school discipline cases throughout the state.

Student Team: Erica Freeman (JD ’23), Bailey Cofax (JD ’22), Leanna Lupin (JD ’23), Max Levy (JD ’22) and Briana Mittleman (JD ’23)