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| DRLC Newsletter |
Friday, January 21, 2011 |
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DRLC Makes Strides to Ensure Special Education Is
Available to Young Adults With Disabiltiies in County Jails
On January 20, federal Judge Valerie Baker Fairbank ruled on cross motions for summary judgment in the Disability Rights Legal Center's class action, Garcia, et al. v. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Dept., et al., Case No. CV 09-8943 VBF (SHx). The court ruled that the Los Angeles Unified School District failed to provide services to eligible students who were detained in the jail system, and that the Los Angeles County Office of Education failed to address the needs of these students in its planning for special education countywide. The case now proceeds to trial against the remaining defendants, the California Department of Education and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, who plaintiffs also contend failed to meet their legal obligations. The case addresses the wholesale failure to provide any special education to young adults in the jail system, most of whom are pretrial detainees, and seeks to establish a system to provide these services. Plaintiffs estimate that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of eligible students in need of special education within the jail system at any given time, and that many of these young adults have challenging learning disabilities or mental health conditions. DRLC is co-counseling this matter with Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP. |
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Narrated Slideshow Explains DRLC Pro Bono Opportunities
A narrated slideshow posted on our YouTube site explains the many ways that lawyers and law students can volunteer for the Disability Rights Legal Center. Lani Woltmann, the Disability Rights Legal Center Pro Bono Director, worked with Public Interest Clearing House in creating the slideshow. |
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Paula Pearlman Gives Presentation on ADA Regulations for Ticket Sellers and Entertainment Venues
On January 19, DRLC Executive Director Paula Pearlman, along with Edward J. Weiss, General Counsel of Ticketmaster, gave a presentation "Understanding the New ADA Regulations" at the International Ticketing Association Conference in San Francisco. The new sections of the Americans With Disabilities Act go to into effect March 2011, except for new construction and alterations (hotel reservations), which go into effect March 15, 2012. The presentation identified: basic statutes regarding rights of patrons with disabilities as well as common legal issues for venues; recent changes in the ADA and the impact of the changes; common types of accommodations for assembly areas and access requirements in venues and entertainment settings; and questions to ask and places to go for more information on accommodating patrons with disabilities. More than 100 people attended the presentation. |
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Join Us For Our Open House
On Thursday, January 27
Meet the DRLC staff and Board of Directors, take a tour of our office, have a glass of wine, and learn about the cutting-edge legal work of the center as well as trends in disability rights law. The Open House is Thursday, January 27 from 5:30-6:45 pm at Loyola Law School, Founders Hall, 2nd Floor, 919 Albany Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015. To RSVP and/or request an accomodation: Anabel.Prudencio@lls.edu or 213-736-8195; Video Relay 866-912-8193. Parking in the Loyola Law School lot is $6. There is ample parking on the streets surrounding the law school. Read signs carefully. Click here for Driving Directions.
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Donate
The online credit card donation feature is available on the Make a Donation page of the DRLC website. This quick and easy function can be used for general donations. .
Volunteer
Visit the How You Can Help page of our website to volunteer as a pro bono attorney on a disability rights case, work as a student law clerk or assist with intake and administrative responsibilities. |
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