On November 30-December 3, 2011, Judith Gran will present on the topic of "Inclusion in General Education as a Human Right: Beyond 'LRE,'" at the annual conference of International TASH in Atlanta, Georgia. To attend, see the Equity, Opportunity and Inclusion for People with Disabilities web site at www.tash.org.

On November 16, 2011, Judith Gran will present for a program of the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, "Hot Topics in Special Education Law" in New Brunswick, New Jersey. For more information, see www.njicle.org.

On November 6-8, 2011, Judith Gran will present a workshop entitled "Parents on the Road from Exclusion to Inclusion" at the 1st Annual Inclusion Conference of the Pennsylvania Education for All Coalition in Philadelphia. For more information, see the web site of the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, www.paddc.org.

Judith Gran continues to represent People First of Tennessee and the plaintiff class in United States of America v. State of Tennessee and People First of Tennessee v. Clover Bottom Developmental Center, cases that together have transformed Tennessee' service system for persons with intellectual disabilities from an institution-based system to a complete community-based system. On October 7, 2011, the district court in USA v. Tennessee will hold a hearing on a Motion to Vacate All Outstanding Orders filed by the State of Tennessee.

In August, 2011, Amelia Carolla was named by her peers as a top attorney in the area of school law in SJ Magazine's poll. A copy of the article can be found at www.sjmagazine.net.

Between April and August, 2011, Catherine Reisman negotiated settlements providing public school funding of private school placements for six students, negotiated a compensatory education fund for another student, and procured reimbursement for private ABA and therapy services provided at parental expense for a pre-school child. Only one of these cases required preparation for a due process hearing – that case settled at the first day of hearing. The remaining cases settled without the necessity of preparing for hearing.

In July, 2011, Judith Gran instructed a class on "Changing Systems" in the Summer Institute of the College of Education at Millersville University.

Judith Gran is a member of plaintiffs' counsel team in H.B. v. Emkes, a case filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in July, 2011, on behalf of 56 families of adults and children with complex physical disabilities and medical needs. The important lawsuit seeks to challenge cuts in nursing and personal assistance services to people in the family home.

Judith Gran currently represents the parents in ten cases in federal court concerning individual special education students; two of those cases are in the Courts of Appeal. The issues in those cases include least restrictive environment, the provision of supplementary aids and services in regular class, public school funding of private school placements, extended school year, compensatory education, and enforcement of orders obtained in due process hearings. In addition, she represents the parents in three cases currently pending before Pennsylvania Hearing Officers concerning compensatory education, access to education records and public school funding of private school placements. Judith also represents charter school students and their families in a race discrimination case now in the Court of Appeals. Between April and August, 2011, she helped parents resolve cases concerning compensatory education, education in the least restrictive environment, transition services, preschool services, extended school year and reimbursement for private school tuition.

On April 2, 2011, Judith Gran appeared at the 2011 Disability & Special Needs Resource Fair, among other exhibitors from local and state-wide organizations providing services and support to individuals and families with special needs.

At the March 2011 Annual Meeting of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Catherine Merino Reisman was elected Chair of the Board of Directors of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA). With members in 43 states and the District of Columbia, COPAA is a national, independent, tax-exempt membership organization of attorneys, advocates, parents and other professionals. As Chair of the Board, Catherine Reisman will provide leadership as COPAA seeks to protect special education rights and secure excellence in education on behalf of the 7.1 million children with disabilities in the United States.

In March, 2011, our lawyers obtained an award of compensatory education on a behalf of a student with Asperger’s syndrome in the Cumberland Valley School District in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

In March, 2011, in a case on behalf of a young child with autism in the Cheltenham School District, our lawyers obtained an order requiring the school district to conduct a meaningful reevaluation of the student.

In March, 2011, our lawyers obtained an award of more two years of compensatory education and an order requiring a complete revision of the IEP goals; intensive, daily reading instruction and intensive daily speech therapy, for a student with significant learning disabilities in the District of Philadelphia.

In March, 2011, Judith Gran taught two classes at Millersville University in Millersville, Pennsylvania on "The Importance of Inclusion to a Quality Education."

On March 9, 2011, Amelia Carolla spoke at Sensational Kids in Marlton, New Jersey on "10 Steps to Effective Advocacy with your School District."

Judith A. Gran and Catherine Merino Reisman will present at the 12th Annual COPAA Conference in San Antonio, Texas taking place in March, 2011. Judith and Catherine will lead a full-day workshop on litigating claims arising under Section 504 and the ADA. More information can be found at www.copaa.org.

In December, 2010, Amelia Carolla successfully obtained a ruling against a Pennsylvania school district requiring it to reimburse parents for the cost of a unilateral placement for a bipolar student at an out of state residential facility. The hearing officer's decision agreed with the student's parents that his needs could not be met in a day program, requiring the District to fund the 24 hour a day facility.

In December, 2010, Catherine Reisman obtained a compensatory education award for a Pennsylvania student because his school district failed to identify him as eligible for special education.

In November, 2010, Judith Gran successfully obtained a ruling in a case in federal court against a New Jersey school district that the district had improperly predetermine the placement of a student with autism.

In November, 2010, Judith Gran successfully obtained approval of the District Court of Connecticut for a consent decree that provides disabled adults confined to a residential training school with an opportunity to move to homes in typical neighborhoods.

Catherine Merino Reisman will present on November 5, 2010 at Temple University School of Medicine's "Pediatric Novemberfest" in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The topic is Students' Rights Under IDEA, Section 504 and the ADA.

On October 20, 2010, Judith Gran will present a webinar entitled "Promises to Keep in Education: the Importance of Inclusion to a Quality Education," as part of the Tennessee Microboards Association's 2010 Hall of Fame Seminar Series, "Navigating the Future in Turbulent Times: Perspectives from Revolutionary Leaders of Our Time." Information available at http://tnmicrobooards.eventbrite.com/.

On October 15, 2010, Judith Gran will speak as a panelist on "Preserving Pennhurst: Historical Memory and the Disability Rights Movement," at the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Historical Society at Susquehanna University in Selingsgrove, Pennsylvania.

On October 8, 2010, Amelia Carolla and Judith Gran presented at Autism New Jersey’s Annual Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on “Transition Planning after IDEA 2004.”

In September, 2010, Catherine Reisman received an award of reimbursement for tuition and transportation, as well as two years of full days of compensatory education for a student who did not receive a FAPE from a Pennsylvania school district.

Catherine Merino Reisman conducted a webinar for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates ("COPAA") on "Legal Requirements for Appropriate Transition Planning" on September 23, 2010. An archived version of the webinar will be available shortly at www.copaa.org/training/webinars.html.

On September 21, 2010, Judith Gran taught a class in the College of Education at Millersville University on "The Legal Basis for Inclusive Education." The class addressed the historical origins of exclusion and stigma directed at persons with disabilities and the case law on the right to be educated in regular class.

Catherine Merino Reisman was appointed to the Yale Law School Association Executive Committee for a two-year term beginning in July, 2010.

Amelia Carolla named one of the top special education lawyers in South Jersey Magazine.
Look for Amy in the August issue.