Five law students from the University of Georgia (UGA) Law School are completing their internship in a new Special Education Law Clinic in Athens, Georgia. The Clinic’s mission is to ensure that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education in the public schools.

Law students are learning the legal principles of special education law and related statutes, and will participate in clinical and practical instruction and experience to represent parents of children with disabilities.

The Clinic was developed and implemented by Georgia legal Services Program's Specialist Attorney Torin Togut in August 2006, when Togut was awarded a two-year Cousins Public Interest Fellowship.  The Fellowship offers experienced lawyers the opportunity to work with law students to deliver civil legal services to indigent Georgians.

In partnership with the UGA law school, Georgia Legal Services Program’s ultimate goal is to transform the Clinic into a self-sustaining and independent program that will serve needy families of children with disabilities for many years to come.

Students with special needs are at-risk and often require legal assistance to get educational services guaranteed under federal law.  GLSP’s extensive history of advocating for the rights of students with disabilities dates back more than 20 years.