Special Education Pro Bono Project from Legal Aid Justice Center

As you know, the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities in our public education system and created unprecedented new challenges for students and families. Virginia schools closed abruptly in mid-March, and many of the state’s largest school divisions—representing most of the students Legal Aid Justice Center serves—have chosen an all-virtual start to the 2020-21 school year.  

The pandemic and extended school closure have been particularly challenging for students with disabilities. LAJC is anticipating a significant increase in requests from families seeking help to advocate for their student’s needs. Because we don’t have capacity to accept significant numbers of special education cases for individual representation, pro bono resources could prove invaluable in responding to parents seeking help. To that end, we are launching the Special Education Advocacy Pro Bono Project, which will work to match students and families with pro bono resources.    

To support interested pro bono attorneys, LAJC is offering a virtual Special Education Advocacy training which will provide key information on a variety of education-related topics, including special education advocacy, school discipline, and Virginia and federal education law. In addition, for those pro bono attorneys who commit to providing advice and/or accepting cases for full representation, LAJC attorneys will provide technical assistance and support along the way.  The goal of this project is to leverage our collective resources to serve as many families as possible.   

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6th Annual Colonial Classic Seeks Mock Trial Judges

Are you interested in participating as a (virtual) judge at the 6th Annual Colonial Classic Tournament at the College of William & Mary? This year’s tournament will be a two day, four-round competition held on the weekend of October 24-25, 2020. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Colonial Classic will be completely virtual and held via the online video conferencing platform Zoom. Please find a formal invitation attached.

Your participation as a mock trial judge enables undergraduate students to hone their public speaking, critical thinking, and legal skills in a rewarding team activity. Student mock trials are not just an intellectual competition - they are performances, which we believe you will find entertaining, complex, impressive, and well worth your time.  

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