advocateimpact litigation
June 10, 2020

Filed a 'Voice Brief' Centering Students in a Right-to-Literacy Case

The lawsuit ended in 2020 without establishing the constitutional right — but came remarkably close.

In _Gary B. v. Snyder_, seven Detroit families sued the State of Michigan for failing to provide a basic education, including teaching children to read. We filed an amicus brief on behalf of 482Forward, a parent-student advocacy organization — but rather than a conventional legal brief, we centered the words, art, poetry, and protests of 482Forward's own members. To our knowledge, it was the first "voice brief" of its kind.

Library

Briefs, letters, guides, and other resources tied to this action.