We have been on the forefront of special education litigation since the early 1980's. In 1982, our firm’s senior member, Raymond G. Kuntz, argued before the United State Supreme Court on behalf of a school district client. The case, Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson School District v. Rowley, 458 U.S. 176, 102 S. Ct. 3034, 73 L. Ed. 690 (1982), limited the scope of the free appropriate education that public school districts are obligated to offer to disabled pupils. It was a landmark decision that set a reasonable standard for special education and continues to define public school district obligations to disabled pupils in all 50 states to this day.

Since Rowley, the legal landscape of special education litigation has changed dramatically. Federal and state law have evolved to express a strong preference for children with disabilities to be educated to the maximum extent appropriate in the least restrictive environment. To assist districts with this task, we provide assistance in drafting legally defensible IEPs. We vigorously defend our school district clients from litigation which seeks inappropriate private school placements.

Our firm’s special education department is staffed by attorneys with internet access to the latest court decisions from around the country. To ensure continuity, our attorneys defend our clients in all aspects of the special education litigation process, i.e., impartial hearings, State Education Department appeals, and appeals to state and federal courts. In addition, our attorneys provide in-service training to faculty and staff on procedural compliance with special education laws and rules.

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