Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI) - Delaware

This Thursday, Jan. 29 at 12 p.m., join Stefanie Ramirez from CLASI's Disability Rights Delaware program & the Parent Information Center of Delaware for a FREE webinar about legal protections for students w/ disabilities in school disciplinary actions. Register here: forms.monday.com/forms/54ee21...

Graphic with black text at the top reading "MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY" above black text reading "CLASI's offices will be CLOSED on Monday, January 19, 2026 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day" next to a drawing of Martin Luther King Jr. in black and white, with the CLASI logo in white at the bottom.

CLASI's offices will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

For a list of MLK Jr. Day service events and celebrations in Delaware, visit: delawaretoday.com/things-to-do...

Screenshot of article on WHYY news website with headline reading "First State Focus: Delaware settles lawsuit that alleged 'systemic failures' with how state provides special education services for prisoners" and the subheadline "The state's consent decree with the Community Legal Aid Society will be monitored by an independent evaluator and U.S. District Court" above a byline for reporter Cris Barrish and a photo of a classroom at James T. Vaughn Correctional Facility in Delaware.

Thanks to Cris Barrish & @whyynews.bsky.social for covering our recent settlement with the Delaware Dept. of Education to address long-standing failures to provide legally mandated special education services to incarcerated young adults with disabilities.

Read the story ➡️ whyy.org/articles/del...

Group photo of CLASI staff taken in Dover, Delaware in December 2025.

Happy holidays from all of us at CLASI!

We’re grateful to our clients, community partners, and supporters for your collaboration and trust throughout the year, and for being part of our shared commitment to justice.

We wish you a safe, healthy, and peaceful holiday season and a hopeful new year!

Graphic with the CLASI logo at the top and the words "Holiday Schedule" above a table with the dates CLASI will be closed: 12/24, 12/25, 12/26, 12/31, and 1/1, above the words "Please note that CLASI's offices will be closed on the above dates. Happy Holidays!"

Please note that CLASI's offices will be closed on the following days:

• Wednesday, December 24
• Thursday, December 25
• Friday, December 26
• Wednesday, December 31
• Thursday, January 1

Happy Holidays!

Understanding tenants rights in Delaware The homeownership rate in Delaware decreased by 3% in the last decade, from 74% to 71%, as of 2023. And that’s still higher than the national rate, which sits at 64%.So, about a quarter of the state’s...

Last week, CLASI's Sarah Rhine joined Abigail Lee of Delaware Public Media for an important conversation about tenants’ rights in Delaware, including what to do when facing eviction & how to access free legal help through the Right to Representation program ➡️ www.delawarepublic.org/show/the-gre...

Graphic with photo of CLASI and TPM attorneys in front of the federal courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware with text reading: "CASE VICTORY. Settlement secures critical special education reforms for incarcerated students in Delaware. CLASI and public interest firm TPM have reached a major settlement with the Delaware Department of Education to overhaul special education in the state’s prison system after years of systemic failures to provide legally mandated instruction and services to students with disabilities." At the bottom are the CLASI and TPM logos.

Graphic with text reading: "We filed this lawsuit because it was past time for the state of Delaware to make real, lasting changes in the provision of special education to incarcerated students with disabilities. Providing incarcerated students with the educational services they are entitled to benefits not just these students, but the entire community through reduction in recidivism and increased employment opportunities. Kym Davis Rogers, Legal Director, Disability Rights Delaware, Community Legal Aid Society, Inc." 

Graphic with text reading: "Protecting the rights of students with disabilities is essential for those in correctional facilities, where young people experience disabilities at far higher rates than their peers. This consent decree is a major step forward to remedying longstanding issues. It moves Delaware toward compliance with the law to ensure that incarcerated students can access the special education and related services they need. We are committed to working with Delaware to make these rights a reality. Todd Gluckman, Partner, Terris, Pravlik & Millian, LLP." 

Graphic with text reading: "We hope now there will be real accountability and policies in place so that other families won’t have to endure what we’ve been through, and these students can get the education and skills they need to be successful in the future. It’s been a very challenging time for my son and our family trying to get him the education he is entitled to, and sometimes we felt like giving up. We kept going because we wanted other families to know that their children have the right to an education. Denise Hampton, Parent/Advocate"

CLASI's Disability Rights Delaware program and public interest law firm Terris, Pravlik & Millian, LLP have secured a major settlement with the Delaware Dept. of Education to reform the special education system for incarcerated students with disabilities. Learn more ➡️ www.declasi.org/news-and-sto...

If you’re able, please consider joining us in supporting the Food Bank of Delaware this holiday season so no Delawarean will have to go hungry: www.fbd.org/donate

If you or someone you know needs food assistance, find pantry locations and other resources here: www.fbd.org/get-help

Photo of CLASI staff members Gilberte Pierre and Jacky Saez-Rosario standing and smiling in CLASI's Wilmington office next to banker boxes filled with food donations.

Photo of banker boxes filled with food donations.

This month, CLASI's Gilberte Pierre and Jacky Saez-Rosario organized a staff food drive for the Food Bank of Delaware, which collected 388 pounds of food!

With food insecurity at record levels, we're grateful for the chance to help ensure Delaware families can access healthy, nourishing meals.

Graphic with the title "Health Decision-Making: Implementation of the Revised Uniform Health Care Act CLE" with the text reading "Dover or Zoom" and "December 3, 2025, 8:30 am - 11:30 am, 3 hours of CLE Credit available- In-person or video credit; FREE training" above photos of 7 speakers: The Hon. Selena Molina, Alexandra McFassel, Esq., Marissa Band, Esq., MPAP; Deirdre McCartney, Esq.; Elle Van Dahlgren, Esq.; S. Hope Vella, BSW, MS, and Beth A. Mineo, PhD.

Join us on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, for "Health Decision-Making: Implementation of the Revised Uniform Health Care Act," a FREE course offering a practical overview of the evolving legal landscape surrounding health decision-making. Learn more and register here: delawarecle.org/product/12-3...

They spoke with students about their own paths to practicing public interest law and shared advice and opportunities for students hoping to pursue careers in legal aid.

We appreciated the chance to meet with such an engaged group of future advocates!

Photo of CLASI attorney Tony Sierzega smiling and sitting behind a table covered with handouts at a networking event at Villanova Law School.

CLASI attorneys Tony Sierzega (pictured) and Peyton Carper had a great time connecting with Villanova Law School students last week during a networking event hosted by the Pro Bono Society, Anti-Poverty Law Society, and Walter A. Lucas Public Interest Fellowship Program!

Photo of CLASI attorneys Richard Morse and Anthony Panicola smiling and holding a sign reading "Top Lawyer 2025 Delaware Today"

Graphic with the CLASI logo at the top with blue and white text reading: Congratulations to our 2025 Delaware “Top Lawyers” Alicia Dugger Immigration and International Law Emily Houde Immigration and International Law Megan Mahle Family Law Richard Morse Civil Rights Law Anthony Panicola Elder Law John Whitelaw Social Security/Disability Law

Congrats to our attorneys recognized as 2025 Delaware "Top Lawyers":
-Alicia Dugger & Emily Houde (Immigration Law)
-Megan Mahle (Family Law)
-Richard Morse (Civil Rights Law)
-Anthony Panicola (Elder Law)
-John Whitelaw (Social Security/Disability Law)
Learn more: delawaretoday.com/life-style/d...

Graphic with illustrations of a waving American flag in the upper left and lower right corners, with the CLASI logo at the top and the words "Veterans Day November 11, 2025 Honoring and Thanking All Who Have Served" in the center.

This Veterans Day, we honor and thank all veterans for their service, including CLASI staff members and clients.

Our offices are closed today, Tuesday, November 11, 2025, in observance of the holiday, and will reopen tomorrow.

Photo of two CLASI staff members smiling behind a table at the Pro Bono Fair hosted by the Young Conaway law firm.

We had a great time at the Pro Bono Fair hosted by Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP as part of the 2025 National Celebration of Pro Bono. Thank you to all those in Delaware's legal community who volunteer their time and expertise to advancing access to justice throughout the year.
#ProBonoWeek

TODAY, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. CLASI's Sarah Rhine will lead a webinar examining the impacts of housing insecurity on individual and community health, and strategies for addressing housing-related health disparities in Delaware.

Learn more & register here: udel.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Screenshot of an online article with "Spotlight Delaware" at the top above a headline reading "'Bring her back': Delaware abuse victim rescued from ICE deportation" with a photo of a woman's hands clasped together.

Thank you @spotlightdelaware.bsky.social for sharing the story of CLASI's client Isabela — a Delaware mother & domestic violence survivor wrongfully arrested & sent to Louisiana for deportation, despite having legally protected status.

📰Read the full story: spotlightdelaware.org/2025/10/13/b...

Thanks to Rep. DeShanna Neal, Sen. Nicole Poore, Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, Gov. Meyer, the State Council for Persons with Disabilities, & the Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council for their leadership & collaboration to ensure Delawareans with disabilities have full access to our community.

"This will help Delawareans have true access to businesses and government programs," said Band. "Rather than put the onus of enforcement on the backs of people with disabilities, through individual complaints and lawsuits, this law creates a process that requires a compliance check from the get-go."

Delawareans with disabilities deserve they an equal opportunity to live, work, shop, & recreate. This law will be transformative, as studies by Disability Rights Delaware & the State Council for Persons with Disabilities show that between 55%to 65% of state parking lots don't comply with the ADA.

Photo of disability advocates and Rep. DeShanna Neal standing and smiling after the bill signing.

Photo of advocates and legislators standing and smiling surrounding Gov. Matthew Meyer after he signed HS 2 for HB 48 into law.

Photo of CLASI's Marissa Band standing behind a podium at the bill signing.

Photo of CLASI's Marissa Band, Gov. Meyer, John McNeal of the State Council for Persons with Disabilities, and Rep. Neal talking at the bill signing.

After nearly a decade of advocacy, a milestone accessible parking bill is now law in Delaware! CLASI's Disability Rights Delaware Project Director Marissa Band joined legislators & advocates as Gov. @mattmeyerde.bsky.social signed HS 2 for HB 48, which will ensure parking lots are accessible.

For help with voting registration and making a plan to vote, call Disability Rights Delaware at Community Legal Aid Society, Inc.: 302-575-0660.

We encourage Delawareans w/ disabilities to get #VoteReady by taking 3 steps:
1. Check your registration at ivote.de.gov.
2. Update your info if you've moved, changed your name, changed your political party, or recently turned 18.
3. Know your rights to accessible registration, voting, & assistance.

Graphic with a red, white, and blue color scheme and text reading: "Make an impact. Vote local. National Voter Registration Day" above the Disability Rights Delaware logo above text reading "We are a premier partner! Sept 16, 2025. Learn more: NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org"

This #NationalVoterRegistrationDay, our Disability Rights Delaware program is calling for accessible and inclusive elections for all Delawareans. Learn more here: www.declasi.org/disability-r...

(4/4) Similar advocacy helped to restore HUD funding for our fair housing work and, as the budget process continues over the coming weeks, we hope disability funding will also be protected.

(3/4) We are heartened that the Senate and House Appropriations Committees recently voted to maintain P&A funding levels despite these proposals, thanks to nationwide attention and advocacy efforts.

(2/4) This work is now at risk, due to significant proposed funding cuts facing the national network of Protection & Advocacy systems (P&As), created by Congress in the 1970s to protect & advance the rights of people with disabilities & provide an independent watchdog to prevent abuse & neglect.

Delaware advocacy group's federal funding at risk The U.S. House lawmakers are considering cutting P&A and Client Assistance Program funding.

(1/4) Thanks to Delaware Public Media for highlighting the critical advocacy work of our Disability Rights Delaware program, which helps thousands of Delaware children and adults with disabilities each year: www.delawarepublic.org/politics-gov...

Your Rights as a Voter - Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. The Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (“PAVA”) program of Disability Rights Delaware provides advocacy, education, and training to promote and facilitate the right of individuals with disabili...

🗳️CLASI's Disability Rights Delaware program is committed to ensuring that voters with disabilities can exercise their fundamental right to vote.

👉Learn more about your rights as a Delaware voter here: www.declasi.org/disabilities...

Graphic featuring a red and blue design, with a blurry image of a woman holding a “VOTE” button that is in-focus as the background. The text reads: “It’s Disability Voting Rights Week!” in white, with the National Disability Rights Network logo in white in the lower right corner.

Graphic with white text at the top reading: “What is Disability Voting Rights Week?” Body text reads: “Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW) is September 8–12. It’s a national, nonpartisan event led by the American Association of People with Disabilities and REV UP. DVRW is about standing up for the voting rights of people with disabilities, celebrating community, and building power together.” There is a blurred blue and red background with hands reaching up, and the National Disability Rights Network logo in white in the lower right corner.

Graphic with white text at the top reading: “Why Disability Voting Rights Week?” Body text reads: "People with disabilities are a powerful part of the voting population - present in every community and political party. Yet, there are many barriers that make it hard for people with disabilities to vote. DVRW was created by people with disabilities to raise awareness, remove barriers, and make sure community needs are heard." There is a blurred red and blue background with an image of American flags, with the National Disability Rights Network logo in white in the lower left corner.

It's Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW)!

Why it matters:

✔️ Too many barriers keep people with disabilities from accessing their right to vote.

✔️ DVRW was created by people with disabilities to raise awareness, advocate for removal of barriers, and ensure the community’s needs are represented.