Reflections from the Field (Part 2)

This past summer, UBSPI (in conjunction with the Maryland Legal Services Corporation and the University of Baltimore School of Law),  funded 15 UB Law students to intern at public interest organizations to gain first-hand legal experience serving a variety of communities.  Over the next few months, their stories will be highlighted on Out in the Streets.

1Ls and 2Ls:  Are you interested in applying for a $4,000 grant to support your public interest work this summer?  Applications for 2012 grants are available here.  Remember:  Much of our funding comes from our annual public interest auction, to be held this year on March 9.  (More information will be available shortly). 

Lauren Whitaker, 2L, University of Baltimore School of Law- Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education

This summer I was afforded the opportunity to intern with Maryland Coalition for Inclusive  Education (MCIE).  MCIE is a nonprofit organization that works to ensure that students with disabilities are included in their neighborhood schools.  The organization does this by advocacy and professional development.  I worked with the advocacy department and had the opportunity to work on mediation and Due Process requests, draft memorandum for the attorneys, and interview clients.  I was also able to sit in on several Individualized Education Plan meetings and observe mediations between the parents and the school administrators.  My internship significantly broadened my knowledge of the field of both education and civil rights law.

Not only was I able to gain this substantive knowledge, I also saw that there is much to be gained in working to secure an inclusive public education for students who are unsure or otherwise unable to advocate for themselves in a dispute with the school system.   My work was always met with sincere gratitude and appreciation from the families that we worked with this summer.  Additionally, it was a great experience to work with such outstanding attorneys who were always ready to “go to bat” for their students.  Because of my great experience this summer, I will be continuing to work with MCIE throughout the school year and would recommend anyone interested in educational advocacy, mediation, or civil rights to pursue an internship with MCIE.