Legal Question in Mediation in Washington

While the mediation section of this site is probably not the best place for this query, I would say the answer to your question depends on what your contract with the placement agency says. Does it require notice to you if a student leaves early? How are you paid (weekly, monthly, one payment), and how much money are we talking about here?

If the money involved is in the tens of thousands of dollars, then it may be worth paying an attorney for 30-60 minutes to read your contract and give you an opinion of whether you have a case going forward upon which it is worth suing. That may put you into mediation or arbitration (depending on if the contract requires it before or in lieu of going to trial), in which case you may be able to negotiate a settlement that while being less than you'd like to get and more than they'd like to pay, works out in the end as the best possible solution.