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AMERICORPS LEGAL FELLOW, CLASS OF 2009
Debra Weinberg
Name of Host Organization: Louisiana Bar Foundation
City, State: New Orleans, Louisiana
Issue area: Education/Special Education, Children/Youth,Disability Rights
THE INSPIRATION
It had been less than 2 years since Hurricane Katrina. The person that inspired me was an older woman with a variety of disabilities that made getting out of bed to use the bathroom an incredible chore, when it was possible at all. She was trying to stay out of a nursing home and simply wanted to live in her own home. I was able to help her do just that. Before the summer of 2007, I had spent only 5 days in New Orleans. By the end of that summer, I knew that this was where I had to live.
THE PROJECT
As an AmeriCorps Legal Fellow at the Louisiana Bar Foundation, I work in partnership with Advocacy Center on Special Education issues. I represent the interests of students who require additional accommodations to ensure they receive an adequate education. I am also bringing trainings to rural areas to inform parents of children with disabilities about their children’s educational rights. I am also recruiting, training and managing law students, enabling some of them to speak with parents to help identify potential educational issues.
BIOGRAPHY
Law school: |