From Left to Right: Debbie Dorfman, Executive Director of DRCT, UCONN Law Students: John Dudley, Gina Divito, Sandhya Alpmann, and Farah Jean; Mike Whilby, Strategic Partnerships Manager of DRCT
January 4, 2024
DRCT Finishes Up 2nd Year Disability Law Clinic!
By Mike Whilby, DRCT Strategic Partnerships Manager
On December 6, 2023, Disability Rights Connecticut’s Disability Law Clinic completed the second year in partnership with University of Connecticut School of Law. DRCT’s Executive Director, Deborah Dorfman, taught the clinic along with guest speakers with assistance by Strategic Partnerships Manager, Mike Whilby.
The Disability Law Clinic provided a unique opportunity for students to learn about substantive disability law and to work at DRCT to assist in providing individual advocacy and work on systemic litigation and other advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities throughout Connecticut. The students worked on cases and matters that addressed a broad range of substantive disability law issues including abuse and neglect of people with disabilities; housing discrimination, access to special education, among other issues.
During the weekly class portion of the Clinic, the students acquired important advocacy skills needed to represent people with disabilities, such as interviewing; providing counsel and advice; legal research; legal writing; and litigation skills and learned about various substantive areas of disability law.
A big thank you to our guest speakers for the 2023 Fall Disability Law Clinic which included DRCT staff members: Kasey Considine, Mike Whilby, Santina Sciaba-Douglas, and Sheldon Toubman, along with Connecticut Legal Rights Project’s (CLRP) Legal Director, Kirk Lowry.
Finally, Disability Rights Connecticut would like to thank the University of Connecticut School of Law for their amazing support of the Disability Law Clinic, and we look forward to continued collaborations in 2024.
