New York Associates Honored for Dedication to Pro Bono

The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), a civil legal services organization serving communities across New York to ensure access to justice, recognized associates Emily True, Caroline Clarke, and Florian Loibl with its Spirit of Service award for their dedication to pro bono and their work with NYLAG’s Special Education Unit.

NYLAG’s Special Education Unit supports parents of children with disabilities as they navigate the legal complexities of the special education system. In 2019, our lawyers began working with two sets of parents of students with special education needs in finding appropriate private school placements for both students in the New York City area when the students failed to make meaningful progress in their DOE schools.

At these new placements, both students have grown exceptionally over the past few years. Both schools provide our students with a classroom setting and services that were unavailable at their DOE schools, yet necessary for our students to succeed. Clarke, Loibl, and True also successfully obtained reimbursement for tuition for both students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).