On Oct. 5, 2017, I received a call from a father whose son, R.J., I represented in a school case. R.J. had a learning disability. His family lived on a fixed income and lacked the resources that more affluent families have to invest in early education. As a result, by the time R.J. started kindergarten, he was behind academically, socially and emotionally. His neighborhood school had failed him. By the time I met R.J., he was in high school. He was years behind and starting to disengage from instruction. We obtained a settlement that would allow him to attend private school for the rest of his high school career. I hoped that with intensive intervention, he would close his education gap, even if he would still remain unprepared for post-secondary school or gainful employment. I hoped. But when I answered the phone on Oct. 5, 2017, I could tell something was wrong. With his voice breaking, his father told me that R.J. had been killed by a stray bullet.

I have received too many calls from families sharing similar tragic news about the children I represent—children from distressed neighborhoods where crime, violence and poverty live dangerously alongside one another and opportunities to live the good life are curtailed.

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