The mission of the Education Law Project at Legal Services of Northern Virginia is to protect the legal rights of children to be in school and to receive an appropriate and inclusive public education.  We address a variety of issues that can adversely impact a child’s access to education, such as bullying, “school refusal,” school disciplinary actions, unmet educational needs, and the need for specialized inappropriate responses to challenging behaviors.

We help families obtain mental health services for their children under the Comprehensive Services Act when other forms of health insurance are not adequate to fund the mental health services that the client needs.  The Project also works to remove barriers to school attendance and enrollment.  These barriers can be physical, such as the need for an elevator for a child in a wheelchair, or mental, such as the need for counseling services for a child with social and emotional needs in school.  We also work to remove barriers to school enrollment due to changes in residence or the loss of housing.  

LSNV’s Education Law Project has one dedicated staff member who has more than 15 years of experience advocating for children with special needs.  Over the years, dozens of volunteer lawyers have participated in this project. A few have gone on to start their own practices as special education lawyers in Northern Virginia, and one has started a special education advocacy clinic at a large firm in Washington, DC.