FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Florence Nathan
732-937-7523
November 12, 2009
FOUNDATION HOSTS SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVOCACY TRAINING FOR LAWYERS
Parents and caretakers of special-needs children regularly face obstacles in getting the education their children are legally entitled to receive. One major stumbling block is often the lack of attorneys with the necessary specialized knowledge. Overcoming that hurdle was the focus of Children's Special Education Advocacy Training cosponsored by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation on November 2.
Even the often audible noise of ongoing renovations at the New Jersey Law Center couldn't lessen the enthusiasm of the more than 100 attorneys who came to learn how to represent special education students and their families. Not only did the attorneys learn what it takes to represent special education students and their families, they also agreed to help fill the need. Every lawyer who took part in the free training agreed to return the favor, and take at least one pro bono assignment this year to help caregivers obtain special education services for children with disabilities.
That experience is not to be missed, according to attorney John Rue, an attorney for White & Case who sits on the board of the Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, one of the sponsors of the training. "Special education training," he said, "is essential to recruiting attorneys to pro bono representation of the underserved in this important area of civil rights. Without pro bono lawyers, poor children would often be left without recourse against school districts seeking to [cut expenses]....Training, support and mentoring make it possible for any attorney to take these cases and make a difference in the world, one child at a time."
The brainchild of attorney Mary Coogan, assistant director of the Association for Children of New Jersey, the program featured an array of experts in the field who offered insight about key relevant cases, explained the meaning of "least restrictive environment," gave an overview of DYFS and the court process, and outlined the steps advocates should follow to secure rights for children. Presenters included Todd Wilson, Michaelene Loughlin, Jennifer N. Rosen-Valverde, Lauren Michaels, Jennifer M. Halper, Ira Fingles and Denise Lanchantin Dwyer. All the speakers entertained questions from the audience.
"This year's special education pro bono training was outstanding," said event co-organizer Ruth Deale Lowenkron of the Education Law Center. "It was truly an information-packed day. A number of the attorneys in attendance have already taken on pro bono assignments, and the rest will be diving in soon. I want to publicly thank our trainers, our future pro bono attorneys and our wonderful sponsors."
The Bar Foundation sponsored the training with 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 and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice.
As attendee Milagros Camacho of Camacho, Gardner & Associates put it, the full-day series of panels was "an incredibly instructional program that is very much needed. Many attorneys have no idea what to do or how to be effective in this area. We will be able to provide a great service if trained properly. We greatly appreciate the training being offered."
Founded in 1958, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation is the educational and philanthropic arm of the New Jersey State Bar Association. The Bar 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. For more information about the Foundation's programs and publications, visit us online at www.njsbf.org or call 1-800-FREE-LAW.
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