Beginning in 1998 CLA organized a coalition of public and private non-profit groups as well as private lawyers whose work focuses on special education advocacy for children with disabilities. The federation assists members in their individual advocacy and engages in statewide, systemic advocacy on behalf of children with disabilities. The Federation was established with funding from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.
Many parents of children with special needs are not aware of the legal rights their children have and do not know how to use the system. This is also true of foster parents, social workers and mental health workers who have responsibility for these children. Through a series of presentations throughout North Carolina, CLA is training these parents and caregivers about special education law.
Offenders with mental retardation do not fare well in the criminal justice system which is generally not equipped to understand or accommodate them. Thus, offenders with mental retardation fall through the cracks. CLA is training lawyers and judges about how to recognize defendants with mental retardation or other cognitive impairments and how to communicate effectively with them. This project is funded by the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities.