Our Work

Lawyers for the People provides free legal services to D.C. families in numerous areas:  

Special Education

Lawyers for the People (L4P) attorneys ensure that the legal rights of children with disabilities are enforced.  L4P also works with the student's family, school support team, and community support team to ensure that the student has access to all the services he or she needs to succeed in life.  If such support teams are not engaged with the student, or have not been formed, then L4P attorneys help build and support such teams. 

Delinquency

Lawyers for The People (L4P) attorneys accept court appointments to represent children charged with delinquency matters in D.C. Superior Court.  L4P understands the traumatic and stigmatizing effects court contacts can have on a young person.  Therefore, we work to minimize a child's contact with the criminal justice system.  We also understand that Juvenile Delinquency Court is designed with rehabilitation in mind.  Therefore, we zealously advocate for appropriate services, such as mentors and tutors, for every youth we work with who is under court supervision. 

Persons in Need of Supervision

Runaway children are a scary problem in D.C., and the issue has even received national news attention.  Lawyers for the People (L4P) attorneys accept court appointments to represent children in the court system for running away or for not attending school (truancy).  L4P works hard to identify the root causes of the running and build appropriate supports to minimize such behavior. 

Abuse and Neglect

Lawyers for The People attorneys accept court appointments to advocate for children that are in the Abuse and Neglect court system at D.C. Superior Court. 

School Discipline

Recent research shows that children excluded from school, through suspensions and expulsions, are less likely to graduate and more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system.  We believe  children who are misbehaving need more targeted interventions to improve his or her academic and life skills, and therefore be less likely to misbehave in the future.  Lawyers for the People attorneys represent students facing long-term suspension or expulsion charges at school disciplinary hearings.  No matter if the hearing is won or lost, we then work with the family and school to ensure proper supports are in place to help prevent a similar future incident.