DePaul Law School, which has always been known for innovative law school teaching coupled with a mission of caring and compassion, is launching a new Special Education Advocacy Clinic in August 2008 (Download specialedclinic0408.pdf
). This clinic will be the first special education law clinic to open in the midwest and will serve special education students who are generally unrepresented and have profound legal needs. This is a wonderful development in the legal scene in Illinois.
Even more wonderful, is that I am going to be the clinical instructor as an adjunct faculty member of the law school, in addition to my full time special education law practice. I have never taught before and the challenge is most invigorating and exciting. I have a great deal of passion for my work and want to convey that feeling onto the next crop of attorneys who are coming up the ranks. The legal profession takes a lot knocks, some deserved, but there is a lot of good that lawyers are doing and can do in the future. It is my sincere hope that my teaching in a clinical setting will help inspire others to fight for the rights of children with special needs against the enormous resources of schools. However, I am also humble enough to recognize that as a new teacher, I should have a greater
appreciation for the hard work that many fine teachers perform
everyday, which will only make me a better and more balanced advocate.
In the coming months, I plan on sharing my experiences as a clinical instructor and may even have occasion to post some blogs from students in my class. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come!