Reflections from the Field (Part 4)

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). 

 

Catherine Jackson, 3L, University of Baltimore School of Law - Maryland Disability Law Center

This summer I interned at Maryland Disability Law Center, where I gained practical legal skills while providing essential legal services to adults and children with disabilities. I had frequent interaction with clients while working in MDLC’s housing, children’s mental health and special education divisions. I Interviewed clients, conducted research, and drafted letters on behalf of the clients. Whether I was drafting a reasonable accommodation request, attending an IEP meeting, or reviewing a child’s educational and medical records, I always felt the work was both rewarding and essential for the preservation of justice. Working at MDLC, I learned so much from the attorneys, clients and their families about the many barriers to justice that people with disabilities face. I could see how vital access to free legal counsel is where basic rights to housing, education, and healthcare are in jeopardy.

While participating in rights training at RTCs and assisting on a draft of a discipline manual for parents and advocates of disabled students, I felt that I was helping to spread knowledge about the rights and protections afforded to people with disabilities, and ensuring that people know that they are not alone in navigating the process. I am thankful that there are opportunities for students and lawyers to provide these essential legal services to people at no cost, but I am painfully cognizant of the fact that too many people are either unaware of their rights or the fact that there are people available to help in their legal battles. For this reason, I plan to continue to work in the public interest sector.