McAndrews Law Offices : Special Education Lawyer in Pennsylvania
McAndrews Law Offices, P.C.

Special Education Law

Special Education law is a specialty in which very few attorneys practice with any degree of regularity. The field is a tapestry of federal laws (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, The Americans with Disabilities Act), state statutes (various chapters of the Pennsylvania School Code), federal regulations (a separate set under each federal law), and state regulations (entirely redrafted in June, 2001). It is virtually impossible for an attorney to competently and successfully handle an occasional special education matter.

This firm has been involved in special education matters for thirteen years and in disability law for twenty years. Our attorneys possess a broad range of experience and advanced degrees in psychology and education. Therefore, when you require legal advice in a matter involving special education, you can feel secure and confident in working with our firm.

Special Education Consultations Based Upon Ability to Pay: McAndrews Law Offices is committed to providing access to exceptional legal services to deserving families regardless of the ability to pay. Our comprehensive review process by our firm may involve up to ten (10) hours of review and consultation by our special education professionals.  While we charge a modest fee for this consultation, we will consider waiving or reducing this fee for any family who is unable to pay following a determination through our intake process.

Our initial consultations with families concerning the special education needs of their children are very comprehensive. The process begins by the client providing intake information to our experienced senior special education paralegal. A partner reviews this intake information and provides any necessary preliminary information to the client to address short term issues, while the client gathers records to provide to our office.

Typically, we ask for all of the student’s IEPs, Evaluation Reports, private evaluations, report cards, progress reports, and important correspondence between the family and school personnel. Once these documents are received in our office, our support staff organizes these documents for review by two of our special education attorneys. A meeting is promptly scheduled with the family, and the two attorneys will attend that meeting, including the assigned attorney and one of our senior partners. At the conclusion of the meeting we are generally able to provide the family with a plan for obtaining appropriate educational services and other relief from the school district and a representation arrangement is discussed with the family.

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  • As 2010 marches forward without congressional action,many political observers are concerned that inaction in Washington will cause the Federal Estate Tax threshold to revert to $1,000,000.00. Everyone whose assets (including home, life insurance, retirement plans, and all other assets) which might exceed $1,000,000.00 should pay careful attention to news reports on this issue, and reevaluate their estate plan accordingly. Please watch for updates on the website and Facebook of McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. Read More →
  • In 1993, a Pennsylvania Federal District Court issued a landmark implementation order. In the case of Cordero v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Court required all Pennsylvania agencies who are involved in the education of children with disabilities to coordinate their efforts and to ensure that the rights of children to a free appropriate public education are honored. Read The Full Order→
  • Heather Hulse, Esquire, of the Scranton office of McAndrews Law Offices recently won a significant decision before a Pennsylvania Special Education Hearing Officer. Read More →
  • McAndrews Law Offices’ attorney, Gabrielle Sereni, recently won a major victory in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in a case arising out of the Philadelphia School District. Read More →
  • MCANDREWS LAW OFFICES FILES SUIT IN FEDERAL COURT TO PRESERVE COMPENSATORY EDUCATION RIGHTS OF A CHILD WHO ATTENDED AN INSOLVENT CHARTER SCHOOL.Read More →
  • Our Website Now Includes Extensive Videos. Our website now includes extensive videos regarding Estate Planning, Estate Administration, and Special Needs Trusts. View Videos →