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Duke Children’s Law Clinic represents clients in school discipline matters, particularly appealing long-term suspensions that can be highly disruptive to a student’s educational progress. 

Student attorney Emily Bass JD ’26 handled two such cases which were high stakes for the students and their families. 

Her clients, a junior and a senior, were suspended over their involvement in a physical altercation. The senior, identified as Aliyah, received a suspension that would cause her to miss 121 days of high school as well as the graduation ceremony, which had special significance as Aliyah would be the first member of her close-knit family to graduate. 

“They're such great kids who really love school and had never had a problem like this before,” Bass said. “Not only did this mean the senior couldn't return to school for the rest of the year, but she wouldn't get a diploma from the high school where she had spent three and a half years. She'd get it from an online school and would miss out on all the big events at the end of high school, especially graduation.” 

Bass represented Aliyah in the appeal, drafting a settlement proposal that the school ultimately accepted, allowing Aliyah to return to school for the beginning of the spring semester. 

The junior’s case wasn’t resolved so quickly. The school refused an initial settlement proposal, so Bass filed a grievance complaint with the district’s Office of Student Due Process and pursued a hearing. The school eventually relented and the younger student returned to school in time to finish junior year with her classmates. It was especially meaningful to her to be able to see her older cousin graduate, Bass said.

For Bass, a special education teacher before entering Duke Law, the resolution was rewarding after developing close relationships with her clients. 

“I was so grateful for how much they all trusted me,” Bass said. “Those girls really cared about being in school and getting their education.”