Brownstein attorneys are helping keep kids in school. Our Santa Barbara office recently partnered with California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) to support CRLA’s School to Nowhere Pipeline initiative. Numerous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between failure in school and a likelihood of ending up in the criminal justice system, a trend called the “school to prison pipeline.” This trend is particularly pronounced for minority students and non-English speakers in rural areas, who are disproportionately likely to drop out or face expulsion. CRLA has launched a comprehensive initiative to address these educational disparities in California’s rural communities.
CRLA's School to Nowhere Pipeline initiative connects pro bono attorneys with students who have been recommended for expulsion. Our job in representing these students is twofold: first, to make sure the student receives due process throughout the expulsion proceedings, and second, to come up with alternatives to re-enrolling in the student’s previous high school if necessary.
Shortly after we partnered with CRLA, attorneys in our Santa Barbara office tackled a difficult school expulsion case. Our attorneys represented a 17-year-old high school junior who was expelled for getting into a fight on school grounds after another student made derogative racial remarks. When our attorneys took the case, our client had been out of school for more than a month on extended suspension pending his expulsion hearing. Our attorneys successfully argued that the school district violated our client’s due process rights based on the district’s failure to set a timely expulsion hearing, which stripped the district of its authority to expel the student. Our attorneys succeeded in stopping the expulsion proceedings and were able to ensure our client’s successful transition to an alternative school with a program that enabled him to catch up on missed credits.
Pro bono legal services and community service are key components of the culture at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. We are committed to sharing our resources and talent to improve our communities and the lives of others. Learn more.