ELC is one of the only non-profit organizations in New Jersey that specializes exclusively in education law. While our work extends throughout the country, only in New Jersey are we currently funded to provide free legal services to income-eligible parents, guardians and caregivers of students in disputes involving public education from pre-school through high school. With services extending from advice to pro bono referrals to litigation, ELC handles cases on a wide range of school law issues, including:
- special education for children with disabilities, including problems with eligibility, classification, placement, services, program appropriateness and discipline;
- harassment, intimidation, and bullying, including LGBTQ+ students who are targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity;
- suspensions, expulsions or other forms of discipline;
- school residency disputes, including education of homeless children; and
- bilingual and language-appropriate education, including undocumented children.
If you are seeking legal assistance, please contact our intake system by calling 973-624-1815, ex. 300. You will be asked to leave your name and a call-back number in our voicemail system. With rare exceptions, our Intake Coordinator will get back to you within two days. You’ll be screened for eligibility, scheduled to take an intake application by telephone, and asked to provide relevant information and documents. Once completed, your intake application will be assigned to an attorney for review and follow-up.
Because demand for our services far exceeds attorney resources, ELC accepts only a small number of cases for full representation but provides advice and referrals to all with completed applications. In accepting cases, ELC gives priority to low-income students who attend school in low-income school districts. ELC also evaluates whether the cases present recurring problems in the school district or at the state level, and/or whether they present unresolved and important legal questions.
Know Your Rights
ELC’s “Know Your Rights” publications provide comprehensive information and tools for parents and advocates to use in efforts to enforce the legal rights to education of public school students. Learn about laws and regulations, get practical advice, and review sample letters and documents in our guides on special education, transition, discipline, bullying, residency, and homeless students. Spanish language versions of these guides, except (as of yet) discipline and bullying, can be found on our Publications webpage. ELC also offers flyers, in multiple languages, and fact sheets on our Immigrant Students and English Learners webpages.