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Special Education Advocacy

Special Education Advocacy

The Supreme Court Rules that a Free Appropriate Public Education Requires More Than Trivial Progress

By Marion Walsh, Esq., and Arshi Pal, Graduate Law Clerk, Littman Krooks LLP On March 22, 2017, the United States Supreme Court, in a seminal and unanimous ruling, in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, [https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/16pdf/15-827_0pm1.pdf] ruled that students with disabilities must receive an educational plan that will allow them to make more than…

Special Education Advocacy

Five Ways To Recognize Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. March represents Developmental Disabilities Awareness month. According to the Center for Disease Control, the prevalence of developmental disabilities, in the past twelve years, has increased.  The term Developmental Disabilities encompasses a diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments. People with developmental disabilities have…

Special Education Advocacy

The Changing Landscape of 17-A Guardianships

By Erica Fitzgerald, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP Article 17-A of the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act provides a mechanism by which, generally speaking, a parent or interested person over the age of 18 (“Petitioner”) may seek and obtain guardianship over an individual diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental disability (“Ward”).   In order to obtain 17-A guardianship…

Special Education Advocacy

Trump Administration Rescinds Federal Guidance Protecting Transgender Students

by Marion Walsh, Esq. and Enjole Johnson, Graduate Law Clerk This week, the current United States Department of Justice and the Department of Education, in the administration’s first Dear Colleague Letter, dated February 22, 2017 (“Trump Guidance”) rescinded  a May 13, 2016 Dear Colleague Letter promulgated by the Obama administration  (“2016 Guidance”) regarding transgender students’…

Special Education Advocacy

Wonder the Goldendoodle Prevails at the U.S. Supreme Court: An Important Decision for Parents & Students

by Marion Walsh Esq., & Arshi Pal, Graduate Law Clerk To read our earlier entry, “Supreme Court Case on Service Dog Access to Schools has Broad Implications for All Students with Disabilities” click here. On February 22, 2017, the United States Supreme Court, in Fry v. Napoleon Community Schools, rendered an important victory for parents…

Education
Special Education Advocacy

New Guidance Issued on Civil Rights of Students with Disabilities

By Sandi Rosenbaum, Special Education Advocate In December 2016, the U.S. Department of Education has issued an updated Parent and Educator Resource Guide to Section 504 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools.  The guide brings together information published in a variety of guidance memos over recent years into a comprehensive reference document.  It is available…

Education
Special Education Advocacy

How Will the Appointment of Secretary DeVos Affect My Child?

by Marion M. Walsh, Esq. On Tuesday, February 7, 2017,  the United States Senate, by a vote of 51-50, appointed Betsy DeVos as the United States Secretary of Education.  She will serve as a member of President Trump’s cabinet  and will lead the United States Department of Education,  which sets policy, produces guidance memos and…

Special Education Law
Special Education Advocacy

A Nutshell on Special Education Law

By Arshi Pal Do you know the basics of special education law in New York? All parents should have an understanding in case you begin to suspect that your child has a disability—whether a learning disability, an emotional disability or a health impairment, that affects learning. Special Education law represents a complex set of rules…

Special Education Advocacy

Governor Cuomo’s Proposal on Free College Tuition in State Schools Promises Greater Opportunity for Vulnerable Students

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. On January 3, 2017, Governor Cuomo announced a proposal, the Excelsior Scholarship program, to cover tuition costs at  state schools for middle-and low-income students in New York. Hundreds of thousands of students will be eligible. As Governor Cuomo has recognized, a college education represents a necessity for most to compete…

Elder Law & Estate Planning

Holiday Reflections

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. In this holiday season, the attorneys and staff at Littman Krooks send thanks and warm wishes to our clients for trusting us with representing your family. You inspire us each day with your tenacity and care for vulnerable loved ones. We pride ourselves in working with you to make a…