A B O U T U S
Sarah Comeau
Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director
Sarah graduated from American University’s Washington College of Law (WCL) cum laude in 2011. She is an attorney admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the state of New York. Prior to co-founding the School Justice Project, Sarah was an associate at a District of Columbia law firm that specialized in special education advocacy, representing students and families of students involved in both the juvenile justice and abuse and neglect systems. After graduating from law school, Sarah was awarded a JD Distinguished Fellowship from WCL and was a post-graduate fellow in the Juvenile Services Program at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. This is where she met Claire.
Sarah focused her law school career on indigent representation and the protection of civil and human rights. She was a student defense practitioner in the Criminal Justice Clinic, a law clerk at a Maryland firm that specialized in post-conviction representation, and an advocate for international human rights. She also interned for the Honorable Mary Ellen Barbera, learning the intricacies of appellate practice. Sarah received her bachelor’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communication from Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of Communications.
Claire Blumenson
Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director
Claire graduated from University of Virginia School of Law in 2011. She is an attorney admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Currently, Claire is an Equal Justice Works Fellow at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, sponsored by Greenberg Traurig. Through her fellowship, Claire provides post-disposition special education representation to youth ages 18-22 who are adjudicated as delinquent, committed to the custody of the District of Columbia, and placed at its secure facility. While in law school, Claire was a student practitioner in the Child Advocacy Clinic and an Education Pioneers Fellow.
Claire earned her Masters in Teaching while serving as a corps member of Teach for America in Brooklyn, New York. Claire taught third and fourth grade at Excellence Boys Charter School, part of the Uncommon Schools, Inc. Claire earned her bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University where she majored in Government, Psychology, and Sociology.
What Makes Us Different
We have built a new legal practice designed to address distinct, yet ignored, issues facing courtinvolved youth 17-22. Poor education and unmet needs result in a “second pipeline,” funneling this older group from juvenile detention to adult prison. Unlike others, we use education representation to dismantle structural barriers disproportionately affecting black males. Traditional models 1) focus on parent representation of youth under 18, 2) limit representation during incarceration and 3) strictly adhere to special education legal frameworks. By contrast, we represent these older youth regardless of incarceration or non-family court involvement. Our nonprofit model allows this, as we do not rely on earned income alone. Additionally, we integrate education and criminal law to get better results. For example, we have successfully mitigated sentences in adult court. We also bring legal services directly to clients, whether in prisons, group homes, or shelters.
The Need
In DC, black males comprise 96% of those committed to the juvenile system and over 91% of those incarcerated. JPI, Ed. DC 2012. Up to 70% have special education needs, compared to 8.8% of all students. Tulman 2009. Instead of meeting these needs, education and delinquency systems routinely deny education rights. This results in a lack of access to education, increasing dropouts, unemployment, and recidivism, particularly for older youth. This pattern weakens underlying rights and hinders reform.