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| DRLC Newsletter |
Friday, March 25, 2011 |
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Disability Rights Legal Center Helps Restore
Mental Health Services to California Children
 | | California Department of Mental Health logo |
Disability Rights Legal Center and co-counsels have achieved their objectives in A.C., et al. v. Brown, et al., a federal lawsuit they filed in response to the termination of state funding for mental health services for special education students in California. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed funding for educationally-related mental health services on October 8, 2010. This program, called AB 3632, provided mental health services to 20,000 California children per year. These services were delivered by combining the resources of county departments of mental health and local school districts under the joint supervision of the California Departments of Education and Mental Health. The California Department of Education described the wake of the governor's veto as a "state of chaos," as school districts and county departments of mental health scrambled and refused to provide services in response to the overnight gutting of this twenty-five-year-old program. Before the motion could be heard, plaintiffs secured an agreement whereby the California Department of Education released $76 million of federal funds to continue AB 3632 services that it had previously claimed could not be released because of the governor's veto. With funds for services restored, in part because of the lawsuit, the DRLC and co-counsels filed a notice of voluntary dismissal. Read the full press release. |
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Public Radio Show Interviews CLRC Attorney
About Protections Against Genetic Discrimination
On March 24, Anya Prince, Skadden Fellow at the Cancer Legal Resource Center, was interviewed by Evan Simon for "The Docket," a weekly radio show on KUCI FM, Orange County Public Radio. Ms. Prince spoke with Mr. Simon about legal concerns surrounding genetic testing for cancer patients. The decision to take a genetic test raises many familial and medical questions, but can also pose many legal questions. Ms. Prince explained the protections against genetic discrimination afforded to individuals through the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act as well as some of the current gaps in the law. |
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Maria Badillo Shares CLRC Services With Community
Maria Badillo, Intake Coordinator for the Cancer Legal Resource Center, attended the African American Conference on March 19 at Mt. Tabor Baptist Church in South Los Angeles. The community gathered to listen to doctors and researchers regarding ovarian, breast, prostate and cervical cancer. There were also a number of discussions on the importance of participation in clinical trials and new advances in treatments. Many attendees learned about the services that the Cancer Legal Resource Center provides and were happy to find this unique service to help them resolve their cancer-related legal questions. |
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Get to Know DRLC at Ability Expo April 15-17
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Abilities Expo Logo |
The Disability Rights Legal Center has signed on to be an Organizational Sponsor for Abilities Expo Los Angeles that will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17. The Abilities Expo provides an opportunity for people with disabilities, their families, seniors, veterans, caregivers and healthcare professionals to gain knowledge and empowerment tools. For more than 30 years, Abilities Expo has also provided an excellent forum for companies with disability products and services to reach out and enhance the lives of the disability community. DRLC will provide an information table where people can learn more about DRLC programs and services. For more information about the Abilities Expo visit their website. |
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Cancer Legal Resource Center Welcomes New Staff
Laura Riley has joined the Cancer Legal Resource Center as a staff attorney. Ms. Riley graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a bachelor's degree in English, where she completed a Guggenheim Fellowship and was a Mellon Minority Undergraduate Fellow. Upon graduation, she worked in public relations at Time Inc. for three years before heading to the West Coast. She then attended University of Southern California Gould School of Law, where she was President of the Public Interest Law Foundation and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Los Angeles Public Interest Law Journal. Ms. Riley comes to CLRC after working for Judge Patrick Robinson, President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. She serves on the pro bono committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and continues to volunteer in the community.
Magen Jennings will be taking on the role of the Cancer Legal Resource Center Administrative Assistant. Magen is a graduate of Wesleyan University, earning a bachelor's degree in Biology in 2004. She then went on to complete graduate level medical and public health coursework at the University of Connecticut. Magen's volunteer experience includes work as a mentor and tutor to disadvantaged Connecticut high school girls, providing health education and English lessons in rural Costa Rica, teaching dance and art at the Virgin Island Resource Center for the Disabled, and volunteering with the Virgin Island Special Olympics.
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Hold Saturday Night July 23 for 'Casino Angeleno'
The Cancer Legal Resource Center's Casino Night event is back by popular demand! The CLRC will be hosting its "Casino Angeleno" summer event on Saturday, July 23, 2011. Set on the rooftop deck of the Petersen Automotive Museum, with the Hollywood Hills as a spectacular backdrop, guests will enjoy a starry, summer night of guilt-free gaming, music and prizes. Proceeds will benefit the CLRC. For sponsorship opportunities, click here to download the sponsorship packet, or contact Joanna Morales at joanna.morales@lls.edu. Event details will be posted at www.cancerlegalresourcenter.org in March |
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DRLC Offers Free Legal Clinic in Orange County
 | | Dayle McIntosh Center |
To better serve residents of Orange County, Community Outreach Program staff will hold office hours on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Dayle McIntosh Center in Garden Grove. That means this month we will host office hours at the center on April 6 and April 20. Come meet our staff and learn about laws protecting the civil rights of those with disabilities, and services available them, including health care, special education, government services and more. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Maggie Hui, Community Outreach Coordinator, at (213) 736-1408 or Maggie.Hui@lls.edu. Video TDD (213) 736-8310; Video Relay Number (866) 912-8193. The Dayle McIntosh Center is located at 13272 Garden Grove Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92843-2205. |
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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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 | | Disability Rights Legal Center Staff Photo August 2010 |
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