Alexis Casillas: For two decades Alexis Casillas has represented students with disabilities and their families in educational-rights litigation at all levels, from administrative hearings to proceedings in federal trial and appellate courts. She has deep experience with every aspect of special-education practice, from helping parents navigate the IEP process, representing clients in mediation and settlement, trying cases in administrative hearings, and challenging (or defending) administrative decisions in federal court.

A graduate of Columbia Law School, Ms. Casillas was selected as a Rising Star in her field of practice by Super Lawyers in 2017 and nominated as a Super Lawyer in 2023. She holds leadership roles in local, regional, and national non-profit organizations that work on behalf of individuals with disabilities. She is currently a Chair of the Amicus Committee and a Member of the Board of Directors for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, the oldest and largest network of parents, attorneys, and advocates working to protect the civil rights of students with disabilities.

Wheatly Gulmi is Senior Counsel at the EdLaw Project at the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) in Massachusetts. The EdLaw Project supports all of the attorneys representing indigent clients in Massachusetts, including CPCS staff attorneys and private counsel. In this role, Wheatly provides technical assistance, direct representation, training, and advice to clients, attorneys, and the public on issues of education law. She engages in direct representation and assists attorneys representing clients when issues of special education, school discipline, and school stability impact a court-involved youth’s life. In so doing, she works to combat the school-to-prison pipeline by ensuring that youth have access to specialized educational advocacy. This has been, and continues to be, the focus of her work over the past nearly 20 years. Prior to her current role, Wheatly owned a private practice specializing in education law and also contracted with CPCS to provide representation to court-involved youth and families involved in the court’s child welfare system, which virtually always also involved issues of education law and school stability. Wheatly is involved in her community, serving on non-profit boards of trustees and through her involvement in several organizations focusing on education and equity. Wheatly earned her undergraduate degree from Skidmore College and her Juris Doctor from Western New England College, School of Law.

David M. Grey, Esq. is a partner with the law firm of Grey & Grey in California. David is an experienced special education attorney who has successfully handled a lot of due process hearings and appeals in state and federal court. He has experience with a broad range of special education matters. A significant number of his cases involve people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing or those who are in danger of being seriously hurt if not properly served by the school. David has a growing interest in using civil rights laws to obtain injunctive relief and damages beyond what is provided for under IDEA.

Prior to his special education practice, David focused on employment and real estate disputes, where he had many jury trials, arbitrations and administrative hearings. He is a cum laude graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University and received his law degree from Hofstra University in New York. David has lectured and written extensively on a variety of legal topics. Most recently he was successful in convincing the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse summary judgment against two of his clients in K.M. v. Tustin Unified School District, 725 F.3d 1088 (9th Cir. 2013)(cert. denied). The Ninth Circuit made clear that compliance with IDEA does not foreclose rights available under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Selene Almazan, Esq. (MD) has been a member of COPAA since its inception in 1998.  Selene was on the Board of Directors from 2003-2014.  She has represented students and families for nearly 30 years.  Selene is a former Supervising Attorney for the Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland where she represented children in the foster care system, including representation in special education matters. For nearly 23 years, Selene represented parents in special education matters with a primary focus on least restrictive environment (LRE) issues at the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education.  Since September 2014, Selene has been the Legal Director for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) where she supports the work of the Amicus Committee as well as works on federal and local policy issues.  Since May 2015 Selene maintains a private practice focusing on parent and student representation in special education matters, including LRE. She represents families at IEP team meetings, state complaint proceedings, mediations, due process hearings, suspension/expulsion proceedings and federal court proceedings, including matters involving violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. She has extensive experience training families, teachers, school administrators, attorneys and advocates on legal issues related to special education law as well as disability discrimination issues.

Ellen has more than thirty years of experience with litigation and legal writing, both as an attorney and as a professor of legal writing. She is admitted to the bar in Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island, as well as six federal district and circuit courts. She has worked as a civil rights and disability rights attorney since 1986 when she joined the New York City Commission on Human Rights. She served as Deputy Director and then Director of the Equal Employment and Public Accommodation Division, where she oversaw the intake and investigation of discrimination complaints. She then joined New York Lawyers for the Public Interest as a staff attorney in its disability rights unit. Her work there included Burr v. Sobol, which established compensatory education as a remedy for special education and also attorneys’ fees for administrative hearings under IDEA. When NYLPI established its Disability Law Center, Ellen became Director. Under her leadership, NYLPI filed four of the first ADA Title II complaints with the U.S. Department of Justice, including a case that resulted in making the Empire State Building’s observation deck accessible. In Florida, she worked for Legal Services for Greater Miami for a year and then worked for the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities (now Disability Rights Florida). There, her work included special education cases as well as class action lawsuits, including Prado-Steiman v. Bush, which resulted in a settlement that required Florida’s Medicaid program to improve and expand its Home and Community based Waiver program for people with developmental disabilities. After moving to Rhode Island, she taught legal writing at Roger Williams University School of Law and now has a private practice that includes special education. She often works with the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, the Disability Law Center of Massachusetts, Rhode Island Legal Services, and the Rhode Island Disability Law Center, both on individual cases and on systemic law reform work including special education. Ellen is a member of the COPAA amicus committee and has co-authored many amicus briefs for COPAA

Andrew Feinstein, Esq. (Connecticut) - Andrew has represented children with disabilities as an attorney for the past 20 years. For the past eight years, he has practiced out of Mystic, Connecticut. He now has an office in Manchester, Connecticut, as well, with two lawyers in it. He co-chairs the Governmental Affairs Committee of COPAA and is an adjunct professor in the School of Education of both Central Connecticut State University and Southern Connecticut State University. Attorney Feinstein was graduated from Wesleyan University in 1972 and the New York University School of Law in 1975. He completed the Senior Manager in Government Program at the Kennedy School, Harvard University, in 1983. He has served as a professional staff member of the House Committee on Armed Services and Chief Counsel of the House Civil Service Subcommittee.

Ms. Scavongelli is a a staff attorney and has been with the EdLaw since 2012 when she joined the project as an Equal Justice Works Fellow. Ms. Scavongelli graduated Northeastern University School of Law. A recipient of a Rappaport Fellowship at the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate and a recipient of a Hennessy Fellowship at the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee, Ms. Scavongelli brings a wide range of experience to the Project. In addition to serving EdLaw, Ms. Scavongelli is on the board of Bottom Line, an organization that is dedicated to helping disadvantaged students get into college and on the board of CASA, an organization that recruits, trains and supports volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected children before the Suffolk County.

Sarah is a partner in Reisman Carolla Gran & Zuba LLP. Sarah brings experience in both complex civil litigation and education to her advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities and their families. Before joining RCGZ, Sarah worked in the Special Education practice group at a mid-sized law firm and at a business litigation firm in Philadelphia where she developed sophisticated negotiation, counseling, and dispute resolution skills. She now concentrates her practice on vindicating the rights of students in schools, especially students with disabilities, and on related efforts to obtain appropriate services and supports for individuals with disabilities in the community. Sarah assists individuals in supporting their adult children, relatives, and friends through guardianship, powers of attorney and other legal relationships, as appropriate. Sarah represents parents in New Jersey and Pennsylvania mediations and due process hearings, original actions and appeals in the United States district courts, and appeals and arguments before the Third Circuit.

Before practicing law, Sarah taught students of all ages in a wide range of classrooms, from students entitled to special education in an urban public school to general education students at an independent day school. As an attorney, she has broadened her understanding of the needs of her clients by obtaining additional education training, including intensive training in the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction.

Professional and Community Associations
Sarah is an active member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (“COPAA”), a national independent, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization of attorneys, advocates and parents. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of special education law through speaking engagements, both locally and nationally, with parents, attorneys and education professionals. Sarah has led many full-day pre-conference programs and breakout sessions at Council of Parent Attorney and Advocates Conference, spoken at Lehigh’s Special Education Law Conference and Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Exceptional Children Conference and gathered for personal conversations with local parent groups.

Sarah’s additional public service focuses on the well-being of women, children, and those who may be marginalized in the community. In 2020, along with other dedicated volunteers, she worked with municipal leaders to found the Township of Harrison Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Advisory Board, providing guidance to the Township on related issues and spearheading initiatives to make the town a more welcoming, safe, inclusive place to live, work and visit. Before that, for more than fifteen years, Sarah served on the boards of Community Treatment Solutions and Legacy Treatment Services, nonprofit mental and behavioral health providers for youth and adults throughout the community. She has been a Girl Scout troop leader and girls’ youth soccer coach, and she served as President of the Board of the Mullica Hill Women’s Triathlon Club.

Admitted to Practice
Sarah is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey.

Education
Sarah received her J.D. degree from Yale Law School in 2002 where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities, President of The Initiative for Public Interest Law at Yale, and Director of the TRO Project for Battered Women. She earned a B.A. degree summa cum laude in the Honors Program at The College of New Jersey in 1999, where she majored in English and minored in Psychology, with studies in Elementary Education.

Michael J. Eig, the founder and owner of the firm, Michael J. Eig and Associates, has been practicing special education law and advocacy in the metropolitan D.C. area since 1975. His educational background includes degrees in cultural anthropology and education from Brandeis University (1970), a Masters in Education and Social Policy from Harvard University (1972), and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (1975).

A former public school teacher, Mr. Eig has combined his interest and training in education with a commitment to special education law, and advocated on behalf of disabled children and their families for the past forty-eight years. He has served as counsel and/or amicus in special education cases before federal courts, including the Supreme Court. He was counsel in Schaffer v. Weast, before the Supreme Court, class counsel in the landmark Mills v. D.C. Board of Education, amicus in Smith v. Robinson and North v. D.C., and served as plaintiffs' counsel in Doyle v. Arlington School Board. He has participated in countless IEP meetings and Due Process Hearings since the 1970s and has lectured and written extensively in the area of special education law, including authoring the current article on Education of the Disabled in the Dictionary of American History.

Rich Weinfeld is Executive Director of Weinfeld Education Group, WEG. www.weinfeldeducationgroup.com, a group of special education consultants, dedicated to helping all students reach their potential. For the past 20 years, Rich has directed the work of WEG, and served as an expert witness and advocate for appropriate services for students with special needs throughout the United States.

Rich began his career teaching elementary school and then spent 14 years working with emotionally disturbed students, and 6 years directing a program for students with learning disabilities, physical challenges, and autism spectrum disorders. His career in public school education culminated with 6 years as the director of programs for gifted students with disabilities.
Rich has co-authored 6 books and many articles on a variety of special needs topics, including “Smart Kids with Learning Difficulties” and “School Success for Kids with High Functioning Autism”; taught a course on Gifted Students with Disabilities at Johns Hopkins; created and taught a course on advocacy; and provided training for a wide variety of professionals and parent groups.

Paula A. Rosenstock holds a B.A. in psychology from Tufts University, magna cum laude, and a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School. She was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 2003, the District of Columbia Bar in 2005 and the Maryland Bar in 2014.

Ms. Rosenstock has spent nearly her entire legal career practicing special education law in the Washington D.C. area. She provides support and guidance to parents seeking to secure appropriate educational services for their children through the IEP process, administrative due process appeals and in federal court. Prior to law school, she worked in several schools and programs for children with disabilities.

Meghan M. Probert holds a B.A. in History and Spanish from Saint Michael’s College, cum laude, and a J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar. She has worked in special education law since 2012, providing support and guidance to parents seeking to secure appropriate educational services for their children through the IEP process, administrative due process appeals and in federal court.

Ms. Probert has a longstanding passion for working with children and adults with disabilities. She served as President of the St. Michael's chapter of Best Buddies, an organization creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as engaged with representatives from around the country at the Best Buddies National Leadership Conference in 2003.

Amy Langerman is a licensed attorney in the State of Arizona and a special education consultant in San Diego County, California. She is also a parent of a child with special needs. Amy's unique collaborative style working with IEP teams in California often results in parents, teachers and administrators leaving the room saying “That was the best IEP meeting I have ever attended”.

Amy graduated with honors from the Arizona State University College of Law and worked for 20 years as a civil litigation attorney, handling complex medical malpractice, employment discrimination and insurance cases. Amy served as president of the Arizona Trial Lawyers association and headed its amicus curiae (friend of the court) committee for 20 years. 

Roy Atwood is an experienced and successful trial attorney. Roy spent many years with large regional and international law firms, including 14 years as a Trial Practice Partner at Jones Day, one of the largest law firms in the world. In 2013, Roy took early retirement from Jones Day and opened the firm of Atwood Gameros LLP.

This move to his own firm allowed Roy the opportunity to pursue a passion he has had for many years of representing families of students with special needs in securing their rights to a free and appropriate education. As the parent of a son with special needs, Roy knows how intimidating the process can be of obtaining the educational opportunities students with special needs require. Now, he brings his expertise as a trial lawyer and first-hand knowledge of the special needs of students with disabilities to the service of those who are not receiving the services to which they are entitled. Since beginning his special education practice, Roy has participated in two Fifth Circuit appeals and one Seventh Circuit appeal, including two in which the primary issue was attorneys’ fees.

Roy has been recognized as a Best Lawyer in Dallas by D Magazine and as a Texas
SuperLawyer each year since 2009 and as a Best Lawyer in America each year since 2014. U.S. News and World Report has recognized Atwood Gameros, LLP as a Best Law Firm each year since 2014.

Jonathan S. Corchnoy has been practicing law for over 37 years in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and now has opened an office in Sarasota, Florida. He is licensed to practice law in Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, is a member of The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA). Prior to coming to the Philadelphia area after graduating from law school, he clerked with the United States Department of Justice, Tax division. He is a 1981 graduate of American University’s Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., and Allegheny College, in Meadville, PA. He spent his youth growing up in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

He is active in special education, personal injury, and elder law issues. He has had both six and seven figure verdicts. He has successfully litigated special education Due Process hearings, Incapacity hearings, and insurance disputes regarding a variety of issues. He has been involved in appellate litigation before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the U. S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

He is active in helping parents of special needs children receive a free and appropriate public education as well as plan for their future personal and financial independence. He currently is a member of the Legal Services for Exceptional Children Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the School Law Committee of the New Jersey Bar Association. He helps teach professional continuing education courses for Lorman Education Services. He is a volunteer AARP Driver Safety Instructor. He is the father of a gifted child and a special needs child.

He also is involved in helping middle income clients develop affordable estate plans so that they may maintain their independence.

Dorene Jackson Philpot of Philpot Law Office PLLC practices in Michigan, Indiana, and Texas, in the area of: Special Education Law, representing children with special needs and their parents.

Ms. Philpot is the recipient of the national 2012 Diane Lipton Award for Outstanding Educational Advocacy from COPAA (Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates). She is the author of "Do-It-Yourself Special Education Due Process: An Educational Guide" which is available at www.learningenabledpublications.com. She is admitted to the federal courts in the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana and the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas. She is also admitted to the Western District of Michigan.

Lindsay Appell is a Staff Attorney in Disability Rights California’s Youth Practice Group. Lindsay provides legal representation to students with disabilities fighting school pushout and the school-to-prison pipeline. She has represented many students in expedited due process proceedings to successfully drop expulsion proceedings. She also shares tools with students and families to empower them as self-advocates in the special education system.

Chelsea Helena is the Associate Supervising Attorney in Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County’s Education Rights Practice. Her work focuses on representing students and families in discipline, policing, and special education matters in Antelope Valley schools. Prior to becoming an attorney, she worked for five years as a public-school teacher in Atlanta, Georgia and got her master’s degree in early childhood education.

Melissa K. Waugh (she/her/hers) is a skilled attorney in practice for over twenty years. She has practiced special education law for the last thirteen years. Melissa represents parents at IEP meetings, in mediation, with state and federal complaints, in due process hearings, and in federal and state litigation. Her representation includes matters arising under the IDEA, the ADA, Section 504, and Title IX. Melissa graduated cum laude from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree with a focus in biology, chemistry, and physics. Melissa received her Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center in 2000. While attending law school, Melissa served on the Houston Journal of International Law as Articles Editor, the Student Bar Association as 1st Vice President & Section Representative, the Honor Court as a Justice, the Health Law Organization, and the Public Interest Law Organization. She also won first place in the Tom Newhouse Mediation Competition. Melissa also holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Texas-Health Science Center. Melissa and her husband, Lt. Col. Bryan "Marty" Waugh (Ret.), are the parents of two amazing children who happen to have special needs. After adopting their children from foster care in 2010 and being exposed for the first time to special education and IEPs, Melissa quickly realized how complicated this area of the law is and the dire need for more attorneys representing the interests of parents of children with disabilities in our schools. Melissa started her own law firm to assist families of children with disabilities and has served as a Guardian ad Litem for children in court. She joined Belkowitz Law, PLLC in 2018. Melissa regularly presents to parent and professional groups and has served as faculty for COPAA, the Institute for Special Education Advocacy at William & Mary Law School, VPLC Annual Statewide Legal Aid Conference, the University of Richmond School of Law Special Education Symposium, and the National Business Institute. She is a long-time member of COPAA, and a member of the Special Education Advisory Committee (“SEAC”) for Loudoun County Public Schools. Melissa is licensed to practice law in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

Jennifer D. Laviano, (CT) holds a B.A. in English Literature from Skidmore College and earned her J.D., cum laude, from Quinnipiac University School of Law. Jennifer Laviano is an attorney in private practice in Connecticut who focuses on the representation of children and adolescents under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Her representation includes attendance at IEP team meetings and mediation and zealous advocacy in litigation in due process hearings and federal court. Attorney Laviano is a regular presenter, locally and nationally, on the Civil Rights of students with disabilities, and is the co-author of the popular book, Your Special Education Rights: What Your School District Isn't Telling You.

Since 1999, Mr. Goodmark has dedicated a majority of his practice to representing families, teachers and students in their pursuit of equality, fairness and justice in Georgia’s schools.  Mr. Goodmark provides full service legal representation in all types of education law proceedings ranging from appearances at educational planning meetings to representing clients in complex federal litigation.

In addition, Mr. Goodmark works with a variety of stakeholders to ensure that students with disabilities in the most vulnerable circumstances, including court involved youth and those with mental illness or developmental disabilities, received their federally mandated right to free, appropriate public education.  Working within the educational, juvenile justice and child welfare systems, Mr. Goodmark has presented to a multitude of stakeholders about the impact of the state and federal education laws on Georgia’s youth with disabilities.

Mr. Goodmark also commits a portion of his practice to securing and enforcing the constitutional rights of Georgia’s citizens.  Mr. Goodmark has represented and secured positive outcomes for many clients seeking relief for the unlawful intrusion on their constitutionally guaranteed civil rights.  From students unlawfully detained while at school, to teachers illegally terminated after exercising their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, Mr. Goodmark has worked to ensure access to justice through the both state and the federal court system.

CRAIG GOODMARK AT A GLANCE

•    Education Law Attorney•    Represents Families, Teachers and Students with Disabilities•    Focus on Special Education Matters in Georgia•    Constitutional/Civil Rights Practice for Georgia’s citizens•    Student/Educator First Amendment Claims•    Fourth Amendment Search/Seizure Claims•    Open Records/Open Meetings Act Issues

Amy K. Bonn is a consulting attorney withCOPAA. She is also an attorney with the Law Office of Amy K. Bonn, LLC, whereshe represents families of children with disabilities in special education anddisability discrimination matters in Nebraska. She is a proud parent ofchildren with developmental disabilities. Amy frequently presents on legalissues pertaining to special education, Section 504, and the Americans withDisabilities Act before audience of families, lawyers, and supportprofessionals, and she has published articles on special education law andadvocacy.

As a military spouse of over 20 years,Amy is particularly passionate about advocating for military-connected childrenwith disabilities. She serves on the Executive Board of Directors of the Arc ofNebraska. She received her law degree summa cum laude from Creighton University Schoolof Law, an M.A. in English from the University of Pittsburgh, and a B.A. inEnglish from Oglethorpe University. She also completed a ten-month traineeshipin disability advocacy and leadership at the University Center for Excellencein Developmental Disabilities at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Sheis currently an adjunct legal research and writing instructor at CreightonUniversity School of Law.

Lauren A. Baum: Law is Lauren’s second career. She received a B.S. in Finance from St. John’s University, then an M.B.A. from St. John’s University, and worked in banking until changing direction and seeking a J.D. from Hofstra University. Lauren has practiced education law, primarily special education law, representing parents and students for more than twenty-eight years, interacting with a large number of school districts, schools, and other educational institutions. In 2004, Lauren opened her own firm focusing on special education matters from Long Island through Orange and Dutchess Counties. Lauren has lectured on issues relating to special education law for the Practicing Law Institute, National Business Institute, the New York Branch of the International Dyslexia Association, the New York State Bar Association, as well as various local schools. She has also served as an Instructor/Adjunct Professor at Hofstra University School of Law, having been invited to instruct students in Foundational Lawyering Skills since 2016. Lauren is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey, as well as the Second Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

Lauren A. Goldberg: Lauren has worked as a special education attorney throughout her legal career. She entered the world of special education law in 2009, through a legal internship. Lauren has since guided families through IEP meetings, mediations, resolution sessions, impartial due process hearings, and administrative and federal court appeals, in both public interest and private law firm settings. She has been a featured speaker in multiple parent workshops and previously presented at COPAA’s annual nation-wide conference. In January 2022, she became one of the founding partners of The AGS Firm, P.C., which represents special education students and their families in the New York City metropolitan area, as well as the Portland, Ore. Metro Region. Lauren holds a BA from Adelphi University Honors College and a JD from Brooklyn Law School. She is admitted to practice law in New York and Oregon. Prior to entering law school, Lauren worked as a 1:1 reading instructor for Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes.

Dana Jonson is a dedicated Civil Rights attorney based in Connecticut. As a special education attorney, her private practice is devoted to championing the civil and legal rights of children with disabilities, advocating for them in every step of the special education process, from IEP meetings to litigation. In addition, Dana conducts workshops for parents and educators alike, equipping them with the knowledge to understand their rights and responsibilities within this sphere. Dana has been admitted to the Connecticut State and Federal Bar and the United States Supreme Court. Her personal experience as a mother to five children with various special education needs and as a foster parent to many more adds a profound layer of empathy and understanding to her professional pursuits. Having graduated from Northeastern University School of Law, Dana brings a rich educational background and an invaluable insider perspective on special education to her practice. Before her legal career, she served as a special education teacher and administrator in Boston, holding a K-12 certification in Intensive Special Needs. Moreover, her educational journey includes a JD from the Northeastern School of Law, a Master of Science in Education from Simmons College, focusing on Intensive Special Needs, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Fairfield University, focusing on Developmental Psyc

Jennifer D. Laviano, (CT) holds a B.A. in English Literature from Skidmore College and earned her J.D., cum laude, from Quinnipiac University School of Law. Jennifer Laviano is an attorney in private practice in Connecticut who focuses on the representation of children and adolescents under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Her representation includes attendance at IEP team meetings and mediation and zealous advocacy in litigation in due process hearings and federal court. Attorney Laviano is a regular presenter, locally and nationally, on the Civil Rights of students with disabilities, and is the co-author of the popular book, Your Special Education Rights: What Your School District Isn't Telling You.

Payton Aldridge is an attorney at Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) on the Education and Children’s Mental Health team. She specializes in special education, school discipline, and children’s mental health. She graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2020 and received her bachelor’s degree from Towson University in 2017. Prior to her work at DRM, she practiced family law at Maryland Legal Aid.

Karen Martinez-Chung is a Staff Attorney with Public Counsel’s Children Rights Project and represents youth and families with education matters. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from UC College of the Law, San Francisco. While in law school she had the opportunity to assist youth, tenants, and refugees gain access to our legal system through the various public interest internships and clinics she participated in. Karen previously worked at the Alliance for Children's Rights serving different positions as Legal Assistant, Education Coordinator and Staff Attorney. She is committed to defending the education rights of system-impacted youth in Los Angeles County through representation in special education and school discipline proceedings.

Stacy Nuñez is a Staff Attorney with the Youth Justice Education Clinic (YJEC) at the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy and provides education advocacy for young people, many of whom are often system-involved. They hold a B.A. in English from the University of California, Irvine and a J.D. from LMU Loyola Law School. Stacy was an Equal Justice Works fellow with YJEC and focused on advocating for the educational needs of Secure Track youth in Los Angeles County. Stacy’s goal is to emphasize the importance of education in supporting young people to live a fulfilled life once they are released from detention. Stacy is committed to dismantling the school-prison nexus by advocating for school stability, access to appropriate services, and representing students in school discipline proceeding

Mikila Thompson, Esq. is a Staff Attorney with The Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Practice (JRP) where she is a Staff Attorney for the Kathryn A. McDonald Education Advocacy Project (EAP). In her role, Ms. Thompson advocates for clients who have various education needs including placement, services, suspension hearings, and school reengagement. Prior to her role in EAP, Ms. Thompson was an attorney for children who were the subject of Child Protective and Custody cases. Throughout her tenure with JRP, Mikila has served as a trainer for new attorneys, interns, and colleagues across The Legal Aid Society and also with the Practicing Law Institute (PLI). In addition to her training work at The Legal Aid Society, Ms. Thompson has served as a trainer in other disciplines including career preparation and coaching, real estate and finance, and personal finance. Ms. Thompson is an adjunct professor at CUNY School of Law, and an active member of the NYC Bar Association, serving as chairperson of the Mental Health Law Committee.

Mandy Nolan is a dedicated Community Advocacy Liaison at Family Advocacy and Community Training (F.A.C.T.), where she leverages her extensive expertise in special education advocacy to support families and educate professionals. With a robust background in both educational advocacy and banking management, Mandy excels in developing and delivering training programs, refining curriculums, and fostering meaningful relationships with community partners. Mandy uses her lived experience as a foster parent and mother of two children, one that is on the Autism Spectrum, to help empower families to navigate the intricate special education processes. She is a SEAT Certified Educational Advocate through the Council of Parents, Advocates, and Attorneys, and is well-versed in special education laws, including IDEA, IEPs, and 504 plans.

Before joining F.A.C.T., Mandy Nolan spent over 20 years in the banking industry, where she honed her skills in management, training, and strategic planning. Her transition from banking to advocacy showcases her versatile skill set, including exceptional communication, problem-solving, and negotiation abilities. In her current role, Mandy has successfully conducted numerous impactful presentations and workshops, reaching over 1,000 participants and advancing the mission of F.A.C.T. through expert guidance and community outreach.

Jack Robinson, is an attorney and founder of the law firm Robinson Disability Law, LLC, where his primary practice area is special education law, educational discrimination and disability rights law. Jack has been representing the rights of children with disabilities and their parents for over twenty-five years and is a frequent lecturer on the application and construction of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. He has represented clients in numerous due process proceedings, civil actions, and appeals. Jack was counsel of record for the student and his parents in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District RE-1, a case in which the United States Supreme Court’s decision in favor of the student established a substantive standard for a free appropriate public education and, in so doing, greatly expanded the rights of all children with disabilities. Jack is the founder of the Colorado Council of Special Education Lawyers, a current member of the Colorado Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee and a proud member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates.

David German’s practice focuses exclusively on the needs of students with disabilities and their families. He has successfully represented hundreds of families throughout California in special education due process cases. He has litigated various individual and systemic cases focused on inclusive education and also handles cases where students have been injured or abused, or which involve discrimination based on disability. Some of David’s recent accomplishments include a $45 million jury award in Los Angeles Superior Court for non-verbal twins with autism for harm caused by the inappropriate use of corporal punishment and aversive behavioral interventions to gain behavioral compliance; D.R. v. Redondo Beach Unified School District, 56 F.4th 636 (9th Cir. 2022), a victory of behalf of a client in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that decisively dismisses two frequent arguments that schools use to support segregated classrooms and clarifying core questions around the right of students with significant support needs to be educated in general education settings; and an injunction issued in E.E., v. State of California, (NDCA case no. 21-cv-07585-SI), in the Northern District of California affirming that disabled students in the state must have access to a virtual education program equivalent to that received by their non-disabled peers, leading to a settlement in the case in which the Governor’s office agreed to support new legislative amendments ensuring those rights. Most recently, in M.C. v. Los Angeles Unified School District, et. al, (CACD Case No.: 2:20-cv-09127-CBM-E), a District Court held that the IDEA's Least Restrictive Environment Requirement fully applied to extended school year services and also found that failing to consider the length of extended school year program needed by individual students violated federal law. David has taught Education Law at UCLA School of Law and is a frequent presenter on special education law and litigation at continuing education programs for attorneys and educators. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Southern California.

Amanda Simmons is a lived experience advocate and founder of Ambika Law, an educational law firm focused on special education and school injury. She is also a 2024-2025 American Bar Association Fellow focusing on institutional child abuse and has presented at conference including the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the National Association of Women Judges, National Association of Counsel for Children and frequently publishes on legal topics related to the troubled teen industry. She is passionate about protecting youth and devotes her practice to ensuring the safety of our most vulnerable children.

Leigh Anne Hodge has more than three decades of experience as a litigator in a national law firm and has appeared in matters in federal and state courts across the country. She has been a panel member for the American Arbitration Association since 2020 and also has appeared in arbitration forums. Leigh Anne has represented clients in medical malpractice and personal injury matters, medical device and product liability litigation, insurance and ERISA litigation, medical staff privileges matters, and commercial and business disputes. After graduation from law school, Leigh Anne clerked for Judge Edward S. Smith, United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She is licensed to practice law in Alabama, California, and Tennessee. The advocacy and legal representation work done by COPAA and its members is very personal for Leigh Anne—both her adult daughter as well as her granddaughter have special needs. As a passionate disability rights advocate, Leigh Anne is committed to ensuring the rights of both children and adults with disabilities.

Professor Linares teaches the Youth Justice section of the Law Clinic and is the Director of Skills & Experiential Learning. He received his B.A. in International Relations and Latin American Studies in 2000 from Tulane University and his J.D. in 2003 from New York University School of Law.  

Professor Linares joined the faculty in 2017 and has been a clinical law professor since 2009. Prior to entering academia, he was a juvenile public defender in New Orleans at Juvenile Regional Services (now Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights).  He also practiced disability rights law as a supervising attorney at Protection & Advocacy, Inc. in Los Angeles, California.  He began his career as the Southern Poverty Law Center Special Education Fellow at the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, where his advocacy on behalf of disabled students was nationally recognized through the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) Award for Distinguished Advocacy for the Educational Rights of Children with Disabilities.  Professor Linares has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Louisiana Public Defender Board, the Louisiana Mental Health Advocacy Service, and the Innocence Project – New Orleans. He currently serves on the Louisiana State Law Institute’s Children’s Code Committee and the LSBA's Children's Law Committee. He is co-director of The Gault Center's southern regional center and a certified Youth Defense Advocacy Program trainer.

Dawn L. Yuster, Esq. is a Staff Attorney with The Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Practice where she is a Staff Attorney in the Kathryn A. McDonald Education Advocacy Project. Dawn has been a civil rights lawyer for over two decades dedicated to racial and social justice, advocating for the needs of children, youth, and families who are in poverty, who have disabilities, and who face police or court involvement. Her expertise lies in direct legal representation and policy advocacy on general education, special education, mental health, and school discipline and policing issues for youth involved in or at risk of being involved in the juvenile, criminal, or family legal system to ensure they can access high-quality educational services. Prior to her current position, Dawn has worked at The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice, Advocates for Children of New York, the ACLU, and the NYCLU, and as a New York Law School Adjunct Professor. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Pennsylvania and with a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law.

Logan Ewing is an attorney at Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) on the Education and Children’s Mental Health team. She has been employed at DRM since graduating from the University of Baltimore School of Law in August 2023. Her passion for working with children with disabilities was ignited while working at a camp for children with disabilities.

Kathy Flann is the parent of a special needs child. She works as a writer, and she serves on the faculty of the MA in Writing program at Johns Hopkins University. Her publications include four books, as well as personal essays and humor pieces in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Huffington Post, Slate, McSweeney’s, and elsewhere. She grew up in the Washington, DC area, and she lives in Baltimore with her husband, her son, and an 11-pound Yorkie-poo.