The nation's public school system offers a free and comprehensive education to all eligible citizens, and over the past several decades, a series of increasingly broad laws have been passed to ensure that this right is extended to every child and young adult, regardless of their cognitive capacity and level of physical disability. If you feel that a family member has been discriminated against in the public school system due to a mental or physical handicap, you may have grounds for a legal challenge. The best way to understand your rights when it comes to this area is to schedule a meeting with an experienced special education lawyer in your community. He or she can walk you through the laws that exist in your jurisdiction and determine whether the grounds for a lawsuit or appeal may exist.