How We Fight
Here is exactly what happens when you pick up the phone and call us.
We Escalate When They Force Us To
Not every case needs a hearing. Some disputes often resolve quickly when the DOE sees there is an experienced attorney on the other side. We have taken cases all the way to the Ninth Circuit. It seems to change how they negotiate.
Step by Step
You Call. We Listen.
Call us before your next IEP meeting so we can help you prepare to advocate for your child. Tell us what the school is doing — or not doing. What services are missing. What the school told you when you pushed back. We have heard every version of this story over 800+ cases, and we know which details matter legally. This call is free.
Have these ready if you can: Your child's current IEP, any emails or letters from the school, and evaluation reports. If you do not have them, call anyway — we will tell you how to get them.
Going into an IEP meeting soon? Read this first: What To Do Before Your Child's IEP Meeting →
We Tear Apart the IEP
We review your child's records — the IEP, evaluations, progress reports, correspondence. After 27 years of work finding legal violations, we tell you straight: here is what you have, here is what you do not, and here is what we can do about it.
We will be honest: If your case does not have strong legal grounds, we will tell you that up front. We do not waste your time and we do not waste ours.
Learn what to look for: 10 Signs Your Child's IEP Is Wrong →
We Help You Advocate
We prepare you for the IEP meeting — for you and your advocate — and we make sure that if advocacy alone does not work, you have an option B.
We File for Due Process
When the DOE will not do the right thing, we file. A formal due process complaint triggers mandatory timelines: 15 days to a resolution session, 45 days to a hearing. The DOE cannot stall any longer. We file detailed complaints that document every violation and the specific relief your child is entitled to. We have filed hundreds of these — we know what wins.
Critical protection: Filing can trigger "stay-put" — which prevents the DOE from implementing changes to your child's placement or services while the case is pending. If you suspect changes are coming, file within 30 days to preserve this protection. There is also a 180-day statute of limitations when you remove your child and place them in a private school seeking reimbursement that may also apply. How due process works.
The Hearing
If the case goes to hearing, we are ready. We present evidence and cross-examine witnesses. This occurs over Zoom, and you may be involved in as little as one to three hours of participation.
Your Child Gets What the Law Requires
Whether through settlement or hearing decision, we seek the services, supports, placement, and compensatory education your child should have been provided. We seek it.
Why It Matters That It's Us
27 Years in This System
27 years in this system means we know the DOE's arguments, the procedural rules, the case law, and the strategies that work. That depth of knowledge is something no amount of general legal experience can replace.
Families Only — For 27 Years
Some education attorneys represent school districts when the money is better. We have been dedicated exclusively to families for 27 years. When the DOE sees our name on a filing, they know exactly where we stand.
Our Fees Are Covered
The DOE pays our attorney fees when we prevail through IDEA fee-shifting. Here is how it works.
We Go All the Way
Due process hearing to federal court to the Ninth Circuit. We have done it 15+ times at the appellate level alone. The DOE knows we do not bluff — and that changes how they deal with us at every stage.
Tell Us What the School Is Doing. We Will Tell You What Comes Next.
Free consultation. No obligation. We will give you an honest assessment of your situation and exactly what we can do about it.
