Wrightslaw

We publish this newsletter occasionally, when time permits. Back issues of The Special Ed Advocate are archived at our web site -

https://www.wrightslaw.com

As a subscriber to The Special Ed Advocate, you will receive announcements and "alerts" about new cases and other events. Contact, copyright, and subscription information can be found at the end of this newsletter.

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1. The COPAA Conference inspired us.

The article includes information about -

** Indexes & Search Engines **

** LawCrawler **

** Searching Within a Page **

** Finding Specific Information Online **

** Codes, Case Law, Regulations **

** Law Journals, Treatises, Commentary **

** Mailing Lists and Usenet Groups **

** People, Agencies, Organizations **

** Legal News **

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2. LETTER TO WRIGHTSLAW: "I NEED TO REQUEST A HEARING . . ."

"I need to request a due process hearing. What should I do to prepare?"

Here is some excellent advice from a Vermont advocate -

"I take direction from Otis the Wonder Dog regarding the chase: If you do not plan and organize the pursuit, you are likely to wind up as road kill."

"Your job is to present your case in an organized manner that gives the decision maker enough good factual information to reach a conclusion in your favor. For purposes of planning and organization, I suggest that you assume the decision maker (even if an employee of the school district) can and will make an objective decision based on the facts of the case."

Learn how to prepare a case.

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3. LETTER TO WRIGHTSLAW: MARYLAND MOM IS SPED!

Dear Pete and Pam Wright:

I am the mother of a profoundly language learning disabled 15 year old and have been battling the system for 8 years. I was recently involved in a dispute with the school. With information from your site and good legal representation, our nightmare will end soon.

We have successfully gotten the local system cited by the state twice in key issues. My son is now in a Blue Ribbon School and is getting the best program in his school career.

This could not have been accomplished without information from your site, LD Online -

http://www.ldonline.org/

And a copy of IDEA-97 from the U. S. Department of Education's IDEA site, AND a state Department of Education that is really interested in the kid's welfare.

Most of all, the knowledge that you can fight the Big Boys and win if you are determined enough and do your homework is a source of empowerment when the chips are down. It is important to know more than the school personnel (sometimes this is not hard) and not be afraid to quote the law and stick by your guns.

If you and the other advocacy sites will keep on showing us parents in the trenches that we can succeed, then - like our kids - we will.

I made up a acronym for Special Education Mothers: SPED Moms.

S=Seriously, P=Persistent, E=Eternally, D=Dedicated. Look out for us!

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4. EDITOR'S CHOICE: LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING

1. "Legal Research: How to Find and Understand the Law" by Stephen Elias & Susan Levinkind. A step-by-step guide: learn what's in a law library and how to use it; find and update statutes, regulations & cases; how to explore online resources; practice legal skills in the library; write a legal memorandum.

2. "The Elements of Legal Writing" by Martha Faulk & Irving M. Mehler. This easy-to-use primer lays out 135 principles of clear writing, dictation, tone, grammar, syntax, organization, and format. Filled with illustrations and before-and-after examples from the legal world, the book is both a welcome refresher for the practicing lawyer and an indispensable reference for anyone in the legal profession.

You can find more information about these books at the Advocate's Bookstore

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