Amy Bonn Esq. is a Nebraska attorney providing legal representation to families of children with disabilities in special education matters. Amy is a summa cum laude graduate of Creighton University School of Law, where she was a member of the board of editors of the Creighton Law Review. She is licensed to practice in state and federal courts in Nebraska. 

Amy is also a proud parent of children with developmental disabilities. She completed a ten-month traineeship in disability advocacy and leadership at the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, where her research focus was on parental advocacy in special education.

Carrie Watts has over 20+ years of experience working for students on accessing educational rights, developing educational goals, obtaining appropriate supports and accommodations, and advocating within the context of IEP meetings and beyond. I have experience developing and teaching workshops related to self-advocacy training for students going to college or other post-secondary educational opportunities. I have an in-depth understanding of how to review student records, assessments, educational documents, and medical information to understand a student's disability and needs. My educational background is extensive and includes not only a graduate level degree (J.D.) but also a graduate level certificate in dispute resolution, where I learned and developed critical advocacy skills and counseling techniques. I have always sought to expand my education and training, actively seeking out and participating in conferences, trainings, and continuing education related to disability rights and education.  I have an understanding of the transition related needs of students with disabilities as they prepare to access accommodations in higher education. I am well known as a passionate advocate for my students, which is driven by the fact that I believe in promoting inclusion, diversity, and equity across educational experiences for all students.

My experience also includes non-profit boards, volunteering with various types of organizations, collaborating with community organizations and agencies, strategic planning, leadership, management, and team-building. As a person with a disability, I also have a unique perspective, empathy, and personal experience when working with and counseling students and their families. As an experienced advocate, my goal is to empower students to reach their own educational goals.

While earning her master’s degree in psychology at Pepperdine University, Jane worked in a reading research program utilizing the then new therapy called Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). She worked with the young adult population diagnosed with autism who were housed at Camarillo State Hospital in California. ABA was important research as it is the “go to” service for helping address behavior issues for children on the autism spectrum but the environment was frightening. It was everything horrible you could imagine about mental institutions in the 1970’s.

Moving forward 20 years later when her son was diagnosed with Autism at age 3, I was terrified. Immediately I traveled back in time to that horrible place and was determined that her child would never end up there.  I plugged into a supportive network that strengthened her resolve to give her child the best opportunities available. Her team developed a therapeutic approach that has resulted in her child being mainstreamed in the public school system. It was not easy. There were many obstacles, including the passage of time. She made full use of the expertise of my advocates.

Along the way advocating for her son meant suing their local elementary school for services. She won but did not make a lot of friends in the process. Next, they had to go to court for important communication services from our Regional Center and won that case too. In fact that was the first time that her son testified on his own behalf, he was learning to self-advocate. 

It became abundantly clear what she was destined to do with all her education and experiences so after practicing law for over 20 years, specializing in bankruptcy, she plunged into the area of representing other parents faced with similar obstacles when advocating for their own children. She understands the fear, confusion, and hopelessness of these parents. What professionals and educators are telling them can be depressing. Jane works to educate and empower parents to not settle for the limitations imposed by others on their children. Helping parents become active participants and advocates for the future of their children has not only been her career since 2001 but it is my true passion.

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. 

Ronalda Tome-Warito, Diné (Navajo), is an advocate for Native American children with disabilities, with 20 years of experience working alongside parents, Native communities, and school districts. Ronalda specializes in special education law, the process, and parents' rights. She was the laad in structor in The National American Indian and Alaska Native MHTTC K-12 School Mental Health Program and Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPPA)  Sacred Seed course.   Sacred Seeds was developed specifically as an IEP advocacy training for AI/AN students. Ronalda also presented a three-session track, along with Susan Bruce, at COPAA's 2023 national conference entitled Sacred Seeds Blooming. She also worked with EPICS, a parent and community resource center dedicated to serving AI students with disabilities.

Ronalda is a powerful force in the arena of special education, networking, and mentoring parents in the process. Ronalda was inspired by her three children and the voice for parents in education.

Susan’s most relevant experience is as the mother of four, three of which are students with disabilities.  Susan’s next most relevant experience is as a ten year parent advocate and trainer with South Carolina’s former Parent Training and Information Center, PRO*Parents of SC.  Susan has trained over 5000 parents, attorneys and advocates during her tenure with PRO*Parent on virtually any topic that has to do with special education and civil rights law.  

Susan’s passion for assisting parents and extensive knowledge of the practical application of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act along with other laws applying to children makes her a fierce advocate for students.  The training she has received over the last ten years is second to none.  Susan has trained under some the nation’s leading advocates and attorneys.    

A former Board Member of COPAA (Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates) for over 4 years, including serving as an Executive Committee.   Susan has honed her skills by attending COPAA's national conference and was asked to present to over 6 COPAA conferences and was asked by COPAA to provide the two day advocate training at their preconference for over 3 years.  Susan also served as an instructor for COPAA's National Special Education Advocacy Training, SEAT.  She also served as a co-instructor for The National American Indian and Alaska Native MHTTC K-12 School Mental Health Program and COPAA's Sacred Seeds course, which was designed for AI / AN students.  

She has a certificate in  Special Education Advocacy from William and Mary School of Law and holds certificates in non-profit management from Duke and Winthrop Universities.  However, Susan believes that her expertise really lies in a specialized field that in all actuality can only be obtained by hands on experience and is not taught in any university setting.

Susan continues to hone her skills by continually training, she believes that a vital part of advocacy lies in staying abreast of  ever changing case law, scientific research and guidance from the US Department of Education and the Office of Civil Rights.  

Susan is a published author, her articles on special education and Section 504  have been published by advocacy organizations all over the country.  

Michael Connolly is a shareholder at McAndrews Law Offices and was named Supervising Partner of Special Education in 2018. With twenty years of experience, he represents parents of children with special needs in a variety of education matters at administrative hearings and state and federal court. He has assisted parents in disputes involving their public school related to issues such as eligibility and identification, programming and placement, tuition reimbursement, discipline, bullying, and discrimination.

He also lectures across the state and nationally to parents, educators, and attorneys on special education and other education law related topics. Throughout his legal career, Mr. Connolly has been an active member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Legal Services for Exceptional Children Committee, where he served as Vice Chair from 2002 through 2003 and as Chair from 2003 through 2006. In his roles as Vice Chair and Chair, he played an active part in helping to shape the Bar Association’s position on legal issues impacting students with disabilities as well as planning one of the Commonwealth’s preeminent legal conferences in the area of special education. Mr. Connolly continues to be an active member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and its Legal Services for Exceptional Children’s Committee.

Mr. Connolly began his career in education law upon graduation from law school as an associate with a District of Columbia law firm representing parents in special education matters. He later became a partner in a law firm located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania where he spent nearly a decade representing school districts throughout state. Most recently, prior to joining McAndrews Law Offices, Mr. Connolly was a founding partner at another education law firm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where he spent seven year representing parents and students in educational matters.

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Kimberly A. Caputo, Esquire has been practicing in the area of special education since 1999 where she has been responsible for handling all aspects of administrative due process involving students with disabilities under IDEA and Section 504. Having spent over 25 years in the School District of Philadelphia as both a special education attorney and special education administrator, Kim has a unique perspective on all facets of the educational process having handled hundreds of matters involving identification, early intervention transition programming, related services, discipline, placement (private tuition and residential), and transition services.  She has developed and provided extensive training opportunities on IDEA and Section 504 issues and developments in the law to audiences ranging from educators, administrators to students, parents and attorneys.

She is on the advisory board of the Urban Special Education Leaders of Tomorrow program at Drexel University and she is a frequent guest lecturer at local colleges, universities, parent groups and organizations.