Fenwick Teams with OneJustice and DREDF to Help Students with Disabilities
By: Victoria Wong, Summer Associate, Mountain View
A commitment to justice and the needs of the underserved were among the criteria that I used to distinguish between firms when deciding where to spend my 2L summer. Now, as a summer associate at Fenwick & West, I’ve had the opportunity to meaningfully participate in Fenwick’s thriving pro bono program and witness this commitment firsthand.
On June 6, 2014, Fenwick & West partnered with OneJustice and the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) to provide special education assistance to low-income parents and families in Yolo County, California. Sixteen Fenwick attorneys and summer associates boarded the Justice Bus, which buses volunteers from urban areas to rural and isolated communities to set up free legal clinics. The Justice Bus is one of many ways that OneJustice accomplishes its mission of bringing life-changing legal help to Californians in need.
Upon arriving at the clinic, I was excited to interact with clients and to work with them to accomplish their goals. At the same time, I was unsure of whether I would be a useful resource because I had no experience with education law. However, after several hours of conversing with clients and relying on DREDF’s expert attorneys, it became clear that our efforts were making a difference.
The Fenwick volunteers provided assistance to parents and guardians in various aspects of special education law, including requests for accommodations, development of individualized education programs, and general guidance about student and parent rights under state and federal law. The group served 20 clients, including one client who said the following about the clinic: “Thank you for your help. It is overwhelming dealing with a child’s disabilities when you have to fight for services at the same time. The volunteers and counsel provided a simple, but thorough explanation of the next steps to take. Thank you!”
For clients, the clinic was a source of help in navigating a complex and challenging area of the law. For me, the project demonstrated Fenwick’s commitment to the community and culture of making a difference in the lives of the underserved. I look forward to learning more about Fenwick’s pro bono program this summer, as well as participating in the many pro bono projects available to attorneys and summer associates.
Fenwick’s team of volunteers included Associates Betsy White, Deborah Kang, Helen Li, Kelli Newman, and Ronnie Solomon, and Summer Associates Albert Chen, Amanda Baratz, Andrew Xue, Ari Haber, Elizabeth Chang, Jennifer Cho, Jeremy Kazzaz, Taimur Case, Victoria Wong, Yousef AbuGharbieh, and Zach Lerner.
Victoria Wong, a 2L at the UC Davis School of Law, is a summer associate in the Corporate practice group at Fenwick & West LLP. She is a senior articles editor of the UC Davis Law Review. Victoria previously chaired the Filipino Law Students Association, and served as Professional Development Chair for the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. Last summer, she externed for the Hon. Justice Louis Mauro of the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District. As an undergrad at UC Berkeley, she interned at the Alameda Superior Court and volunteered at The Suitcase Clinic to coordinate legal services for the homeless. Victoria enjoys binge-watching TV shows, mini-golfing, and spending time with her fiancé, Eric.
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