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The Disability Inclusion and Advocacy Law (DIAL) Clinic is a semester-long clinic open to students who have completed all required first-year classes.

Mission

The mission of the DIAL Clinic is to advocate for the civil rights of Persons with Disabilities, empower them to be decision-makers in their own lives, and promote their well-being, dignity, and psychological health through direct representation. 

Docket

The DIAL Clinic represents low-income Persons with Disabilities and their caregivers. The docket is diverse and fast-paced, with cases ranging from employment, housing and public accommodation discrimination matters in state and federal court, denials of education and medical services before state agencies, and guardianship advocacy petitions in probate court. 

Through one-on-one mentorship, weekly classes, staff meetings and presentations by a range of invited speakers, students enrolled in the Clinic will acquire fundamental lawyering skills, reflect on the procedural, practical and ethical issues that arise in the cases, learn about the substantive areas of applicable law, and develop their professional identities as attorneys.  

Faculty

Matthew W. Dietz, Clinical Director

F. Elizabeth Valentin, Clinic Staff Attorney

DIAL Clinic Advisory Board 

Diana P. Abril
AgileThought, Inc.
15203 SW 81st Ave
Palmetto Bay, FL 33157-2206

Felicia Jordan
Disability Rights Florida
2400 E Commercial Blvd Ste 525
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308-4030

Hon. Ginger Lerner-Wren
201 SE 6th St
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-3303

Victoria Mesa-Estrada
Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley
2139 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd
West Palm Beach, FL 33409-6601

Rob Rosenwald
City of Miami Beach City Atty's Office
Miami Beach City Hall, 4th Floor
1700 Convention Center Dr
Miami Beach, FL 33139-1819

Brian Tannebaum
1 SE 3rd Ave Ste 2410
Miami, FL 33131-1700

DIAL Case Selection and Representation

The Disability Inclusion and Advocacy Law Clinic provides knowledge and advice to, and serves as advocates for, persons with Disabilities. Each law student who participates in the Clinic is supervised by a licensed attorney and there is no fee for the advice or services that the Clinic provides. To maximize the resources available, we assist clients in one of three ways:

Legal Advice and Problem-Solving Clinic: Students in the clinic will provide information, legal advice, and basic assistance with Disability Law issues to clients without any expectation of long-term representation. This includes assistance with requests for reasonable accommodations in a workplace or housing, requesting interpreting and other auxiliary services, guardianship questions, and other discrete matters.

Administrative Advocacy and Guardianship Alternatives: The Clinic attorneys and students also handle claims and proceedings that, by their nature, can be resolved within a semester or two. There are currently two types of matters that fall into this category. First, are proceedings in front of agencies that investigate claims of discrimination and retaliation—matters in which we will seek to resolve complaints thought negotiation and mediation. Second, are the matters involving advise and assistance to caregivers of Persons with Disabilities who wish to establish alternatives to guardianship for future care and support.

Full Case Representation: For very few cases, the Clinic will accept representation of claims in Federal or State Court to vindicate and expand the rights and opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.