FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Florence Nathan
732-937-7518
October 02, 2009
BAR FOUNDATION TO HOST TRAINING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVOCACY FOR ATTORNEYS
The New Jersey State Bar Foundation is cosponsoring a full-day Children's Special Education Advocacy Training for interested attorneys on Monday, November 2, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick off Ryders Lane. Registration must be received by October 26.
The training is designed to provide lawyers with the skills they need to represent parents and caretakers who have children with special education needs. Among the topics to be discussed are "free and appropriate public education," the "least restrictive environment," evaluations, individualized education programs, due process rights, discipline, attorney's fees and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
"Pro bono assistance in the area of special education is critical," said Karen Sacks, executive director of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice. "Volunteers who assist special-needs children in that regard have a lasting impact on the lives of those they serve by helping children advance in school, empowering caretakers to advocate on their behalf, and educating schools and communities as to how to better serve those with special needs."
The training, to be conducted by some of the leading special education practitioners in the state, is cosponsored by the Association for Children of New Jersey, Disability Rights New Jersey, the Education Law Center, the Essex County Bar Association Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the New Jersey State Bar Association's Children's Rights Committee, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice and the New Jersey State Bar Foundation.
While the training is free of charge, registrants are required to commit to taking at least one related pro bono assignment within the year to help qualified participants obtain special education services for children with disabilities through the Children's Special Education Project. Attorneys accepting such assignments through that program can claim an exemption from Madden v. Delran pro bono counsel assignments. Malpractice coverage, extensive mentoring, co-counseling, model forms and pleadings and other forms of support are also available free of charge.
"This advocacy training can prove invaluable to attorneys at all levels," said Ruth Lowenkron, Esq., of the Education Law Center. "Newer attorneys have a wonderful opportunity not only to gain pro bono experience but to be paired with, and learn from, experienced mentors while providing urgently needed legal assistance to indigent children with disabilities." Veteran attorneys can benefit too, she said. "The session serves as a refresher so that those previously trained in this area can stay abreast of recent changes in the law."
The training is cosponsored by the Foundation as part of its dual commitment to support the legal profession in New Jersey and provide the state's families with free educational programming about special education law and the rights of their children with disabilities to comprehensive services. Funding is made possible by the IOLTA Fund of the Bar of New Jersey.
Registration by postal mail or fax will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until all slots are filled. For more information about this training and other Foundation programs and to obtain a registration form, please go to the Foundation's website, www.njsbf.org. Questions may be directed to Florence Nathan, director of special programs, at 732-937-7518, 1-800-FREE LAW or fnathan@njsbf.org.
Founded in 1958, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation is the educational and philanthropic arm of the New Jersey State Bar Association. The Foundation's mission is to promote public understanding of the law through a free, comprehensive public education program. Among its activities, the Foundation conducts seminars and conflict resolution training, publishes materials, operates a videotape loan library and speakers bureau, and coordinates elementary, middle and high school mock trial competitions.