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Stand Up For Each Other (SUFEO) Chicago is a student-run organization that provides free information and assistance to families of PreK-12 students facing suspension, bullying, or exclusion from school. SUFEO receives referrals from local mental health and legal agencies and provides advocacy support to families, supervised by attorneys in the Civitas ChildLaw Clinic. SUFEO law students can provide information, referrals, advice, and, in some cases, representation for K-12 students in school-based meetings, on issues such as:

  • Suspension appeals
  • Expulsion hearings
  • Bullying complaints and investigations 
  • Safety planning meetings
  • Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings
  • Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs)
  • Records appeals 

SUFEO students aim to help parents and schools work together to keep children safe and engaged in school.

SUFEO Chicago was launched in October 2014 and is modeled after the Stand Up for Each Other project in New Orleans and the Suspension Representation Project in New York City.

Community Outreach: Do you work with youth or parents who would benefit from learning about their legal rights in school? SUFEO is happy to provide your organization or your constituents with free Know Your Rights trainings either in person or virtually. Please contact sufeo-chicago@luc.edu.

Student Volunteers: Are you a law student looking to have direct client experience as early as your 1L year? Contact the SUFEO Board members at sufeo-chicago@luc.edu to discuss how you can support the work of SUFEO Chicago.

2023-2024 Executive Board

President: Emily LaFlamme

Vice President: Iris Gomez

Intake Coordinators: Nate Weaver and Dani Scudder

Digital Engagement Coordinator: Kavisha Prajapati

Outreach Coordinators: RenĂ© Valenzuela

Professional Development Coordinators: Yessica Ramirez

Senior Advocates: Nneka Ugwu and Emma Wallace