“I asked for an evaluation in October and kept getting “we’ll see.” Siobhan sent one letter, and we had a meeting on the calendar within weeks.”
Yesenia R.Parent of a fourth grader
Free legal help for Newark parents
The district has lawyers. Now so do you.
We’re a nonprofit law project for parents and guardians in Newark and across Essex County. When the school won’t evaluate, won’t follow the IEP or sends your kid home, we step in, free if you qualify.
What’s going on?
- No fee, everFor families who qualify
- Free first callWe listen before we ask for paperwork
- Open Saturdays10am to 2pm, on Halsey Street
- English, Spanish, PortugueseAnd interpreters for others
Families who qualify pay nothing: no fees, and no filing or copying costs. If a case needs an outside evaluation, we tell you first and help find a way to cover it.
What we take on
Four fights we pick with schools, every week
Pick the one that sounds like your week. Each page says what the law asks of the school, and what we do about it.
Special education
Your child is struggling and the school keeps saying “let’s wait.” We put the evaluation request in writing and hold the district to its timeline.
About evaluationsIEP meetings
The plan says one thing and the classroom does another. We get the services delivered, or the meeting reopened.
About IEP disputesSuspensions and expulsions
A long suspension or an expulsion hearing is coming. We prepare you, go with you and push to get your child back in class.
About discipline hearings504 plans
Your child doesn’t need special education, just the right accommodations. We get them written into a 504 plan the teachers can follow.
About 504 plans
Who we are
A law office that answers to parents, not principals
Halsey Street Law Project is a small nonprofit: three lawyers, a front desk that speaks three languages, and a door on Halsey Street that’s open on Saturdays.
We only represent parents and guardians. We don’t consult for school districts and we never have, so you’ll never sit across from someone who worked for the other side last month.
We’re funded by grants and by neighbors who give what they can. That’s why there’s no bill at the end.
We read the whole file, not just the last email
You get every letter we send, before we send it
We come to the meeting, in person or by video
From parents
Parents who were told “no” the first time
“Quentin explained the hearing to me on a Saturday, in plain words, and sat next to us the whole time. My son went back to his own school.”
Darnell W.Parent of a high school sophomore
“They answered the phone in Portuguese. For my mother and me, that changed the whole conversation with the school.”
Ana Lúcia F.Grandmother and guardian
Every family’s situation is different. What happened for these parents isn’t a promise about yours.
Before you call, the short answers
More on the questions page, or just call and ask.
Is it really free?
Yes, for families who qualify. We’re a nonprofit paid for by grants and donations, so there are no fees and no costs billed to you. We’ll tell you on the first call whether you qualify.
Who qualifies?
Parents, guardians and caregivers of a student aged 3 to 21 at a public or charter school in Newark or elsewhere in Essex County, with a household income within our program’s limits. If you’re not sure, call anyway.
Do I need my child’s records before I call?
No. Bring whatever you have, even if it’s a stack of emails. If something’s missing, we’ll request the records from the school for you.
Will the school find out I called you?
Not unless you want it to. We don’t contact the school until you’ve said yes and we’ve agreed in writing to take your matter.
What if you can’t take my case?
We’ll say so quickly, and point you to someone who can help, like a parent training center or a lawyer referral service.
Got a letter from the school? Send it our way.
Tell us what happened in a few lines. A lawyer or our intake coordinator gets back to you within two business days.
Please don’t send confidential details until we’ve talked.