Join us on Monday, March 23, for the first event in our Youth Advocacy Writing Group Working Paper Lunch Series with Sam Morimoto and Tia Patrick.
12:30-1:30
WCC 3013
Be sure to RSVP here for lunch (this event has passed).
Remedying the Structural Failures of the Manifestation Determination Review under IDEA 2004
Sam Morimoto, Harvard Law School J.D. Candidate
Paper Topic: When students with disabilities are subject to suspension, federal law requires schools to first conduct a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) to determine if the offending behavior was a manifestation of that student’s disability; if it was, the school may not suspend the student and must instead address the student’s behavior within their current placement. However, the sparse language and lack of guidance around the MDR process has resulted in confusion for both educators and psychologists and inequity for students. This paper proposes changes to the current MDR system to address these deficiencies and improve school discipline procedures.
Biography: Sam is a J.D. candidate at Harvard Law School (Class of 2026). While at HLS, Sam participated in the Special Education Advocacy Clinic to provide direct representation to the family of a student impacted by trauma who was not getting necessary special education services. Outside of clinical work, Sam is on the Editorial Board of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review.
Preserving the Parental Relationship: Reinstating Parental Rights after Termination
Tia Patrick, Harvard Law School J.D. Candidate
Paper Topic: The termination of parental rights is known as the civil death penalty because it permanently severs all legal ties between a parent and child, acting as the most severe, irrevocable action a family court can take. However, what if the act was not, in fact, irrevocable? In select states, a parent’s terminated rights can be reinstated. Within this paper, I will assess the rare and complex process that parents undergo to have their parental rights reinstated. I will also conduct a comparative analysis, assessing the differing requirements that each state mandates for the reinstatement of parental rights. Finally, I will examine the laws and policies of the state of Massachusetts, which currently does not permit the reinstatement of parental rights once they have been terminated, to determine whether policies adopted in other states could serve as persuasive models referenced for reforming the law in Massachusetts.
Biography: Tia Patrick recognizes the adverse long-term consequences that frequently result when youth confronted by legal systems receive inadequate representation. Consequently, she aims to provide youth with effective aid, representation, and support. As a law student, Tia has participated in various elective courses and student organizations, including Harvard’s Youth Advocacy and Policy Lab, the Child Advocacy Clinic, the Education Law Clinic: Individual Representation, and Harvard Defenders, which helped her identify and cultivate her passion for serving as a youth advocate.