Here at WAAA we have an amazing legal team that is always working to be responsive to the needs of our members. We have a number of tools in our toolbox to advocate for our members and make an impact on a wide-scale.
Individualized Legal Services:
Most people know about providing individualized legal services through an attorney-client relationship. This tool allows us to take a deep dive on the facts of a particular case and help out that individual or family. Many times a victory in one case can end up helping many more members who have a similar issue.
Amicus Briefs:
A lesser known tool is called an Amicus Curiae Brief. Amicus Curiae literally means “friend of the court.” An Amicus Curiae is someone who is not a party to a case who assists a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case; and is typically presented in the form of a brief.
What this means is that when there is a case that involves an issue that could impact the members of WAAA, our legal team can step in an offer additional information to the court on how a particular case could impact a large number of people. For example, if there is a special education case where the court is considering what sorts of supports should be available in the classroom, the legal team in WAAA could provide additional information to the court to explain that the result of that case not only affects the person who brought the case, but also has an impact on many other students who are also struggling with getting supports.
Amicus Briefs are an excellent way for WAAA to share its extensive knowledge of autism and other developmental disabilities as well as relevant data and information regarding issues and barriers to services that would be helpful to educate a court in order to make a big impact without having to take on the cost of taking a case to trial. This also allows WAAA to amplify the voices of our members and join with other nonprofits and influencers in the community to have a large legal impact.