Since the firm began, our clients have come to expect practical, constructive advice that considers their best interests.
Education Law: Special Education
The firm’s attorneys were among the first in Connecticut to represent school boards in special education hearings, and over thirty years later, we continue to advise clients on issues arising under the IDEA, including identification, independent evaluations, unilateral placements, manifestation determinations and transition goals. Our attorneys have successfully defended school districts in a number of administrative hearings before State Department of Education hearing officers, and they have won many significant court cases, obtaining decisions that:
- Created an individualized test for determining the least restrictive environment
- Rejected a sweeping application of the P.J. inclusion ratio
- Upheld a school board’s right to evaluate students
- Limited school boards’ obligations to pay parents’ attorneys’ fees
- Defined the parameters of “stay put”
- Excluded dangerous students from school
- Enforced state-prescribed timelines for filing hearing requests
We also work with clients on a number of issues relating to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, including review and revision of policies and procedures, and giving advice on eligibility, appropriate accommodations and exit criteria. School districts have appointed our attorneys to serve as impartial hearing officers in Section 504 proceedings.
Because preventive measures often help school boards avoid disputes and litigation, our attorneys provide numerous in-services on the IDEA and Section 504 to district administrators and instructional staff. Each school year we convene off-site forums across the state with special education administrators to discuss recent legal developments and to provide practical solutions to the most difficult IDEA and Section 504 issues.
