Fighting for Education

When Marcos* was admitted to the hospital with a life-threatening medical condition, all he could think about was school. Always an ambitious student, Marcos didn’t want to let his disability get in the way of his future. His mother urged his school repeatedly to provide Marcos with work to do at home, and his treating physician even got involved, providing medical documentation that explained why he couldn’t attend school.

Despite having a strong team advocating for Marcos, the school district failed to provide any work for him to keep up with his studies, did not arrange for a teacher to visit Marcos at home, and didn’t communicate with the family about its plans for Marcos.

With only a few months left until the end of the school year, Marcos’ doctor referred his mother to the Law Foundation and Valley Medical Center’s Medical Legal Partnership program. Marcos’ Law Foundation attorney submitted a formal complaint to the U.S. Department of Education that is currently under review. Within a week of our attorney taking the case, Marcos was visited by a teacher and received the schoolwork he needed to start getting up to speed.

Sometimes all our clients need is for the world to know that we’re in their corner fighting on their behalf.

*Name changed to protect identity

Ensuring Just Treatment for Immigrant Children

Photo by The Atlantic

Earlier this summer, the Law Foundation was part of a legal team that obtained a positive federal appeals court ruling determining that undocumented immigrant children detained by federal authorities must be given adequate living conditions, including access to clean water, proper heating and cooling, and appropriate sleeping conditions. Co-counsel on the case included the Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, and La Raza Centro Legal.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, ruled that immigration authorities must abide by the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement, named for a teenage girl who brought the original case, that established standards for the detention, release, and treatment of minors in immigration custody.

Law Foundation attorney, Kate Manning, an expert on child welfare, argued for improved conditions on behalf of some of the children who were in detention and served as the Law Foundation’s lead on this case. The Law Foundation is thankful to its partners and is proud to have worked together to ensure that immigrant children across the country are treated with dignity and justice under the law.

Pro Bono Spotlight: A Little Help Goes A Long Way

When 8-year-old Charlie Taylor* began experiencing seizures as a result of mold and dust mites in his family’s apartment, Charlie’s doctor recommended the family clean the mold and replace the carpet with wood flooring. The family informed their landlord of Charlie’s illness and requested the repairs be made. Instead, the landlord refused and suggested the family move to another unit where the rent is higher. That’s when the Taylor family came to the Law Foundation and was matched with volunteer attorneys from Hogan Lovells, who quickly came to their rescue.

The Hogan Lovells team assigned to the case sent a letter to the landlord on the Taylor family’s behalf, requesting that he have the mold in the unit professionally cleaned and the carpet replaced with wood flooring. The landlord promptly agreed and then worked with our volunteers to make the necessary repairs and improve conditions in the apartment. 

Sean Mahsoul, an attorney at Hogan Lovells, shared the following about his experience:

“This case meant a great to deal to me especially given that the health of a child was at stake. We ended up achieving a positive result for our client that helped improve the health of his son and the livelihood of his family. It made me appreciate the impact that I can make as an attorney by using my legal skills to advocate for those who may not be able to advocate for themselves. I was especially happy that we were able to achieve a positive result without having to escalate the situation.”

*Name changed to protect identity