If you searched for pro bono special education help in Hawaii and landed here — we’re glad you did. But we want to be honest with you about something, because the answer may be better than you expect. We are not pro bono. We are free to you — and there is an important difference.
What Pro Bono Actually Means
Pro bono means a lawyer works for free and absorbs the cost themselves. It exists, and it is a generous thing when it does. But genuine pro bono special education representation in Hawaii is rare and hard to find. What does exist — and what Congress specifically designed into federal law — is something that works even better for most families.
How Federal Law Makes This Possible
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act includes a provision that most Hawaii parents never hear about: when parents prevail in a due process case, the school district pays the parents’ attorney fees. 20 U.S.C. Section 1415(i)(3)(B). Congress wrote this into the law because they understood that families need lawyers to navigate this process — and that most families cannot afford one. Fee-shifting was their solution.
- — No retainer
- — No hourly bills for our legal work
- — No invoice from us
- — If we prevail, the Hawaii DOE pays our attorney fees
This is not charity and it is not a gimmick. It is the law working exactly as Congress intended. We have built our entire practice on this model for 27 years.
What Is Free and What Is Not
We want to be completely transparent about this.
What you do not pay for
- Initial consultation — always free
- Case evaluation — we review your child’s IEP and records at no charge
- Attorney fees — paid by the Hawaii DOE when we prevail
- Due process representation — filing, hearings, negotiations, appeals
What may occasionally apply
- Expert witnesses — only with your agreement and only when needed
- Minor incidental costs such as document copying
If a case does not result in a favorable outcome, you owe us nothing for attorney fees. That is our commitment.
How We Have Made This Work for 27 Years
We are selective about the cases we take — not because we do not care, but because we want to be honest with every family about their situation. After 800+ cases, we know which circumstances have strong legal grounds and which do not. We will tell you plainly in the first conversation.
When we are able to help and things go well for your family, the Hawaii DOE covers our fees. That is how we have operated since 1999. That is how we can keep doing this work for Hawaii families.
