I have a complaint for the law schools of America. Special Education Law is one of the fastest growing fields of law. Yet very few law schools have courses on Special Education Law.
The U. S . Supreme Court has heard argument in four special ed cases in the last few years. Hundreds of judicial and administrative decisions are issued every year. Many law firms have lawyers who specialize in representing school districts or student/parents. Each state has a due process administrative hearing system and a mediation system. Numerous state, regional and national special education law conferences are held every year. No Child Left Behind is a hot button issue in the presidential campaigns.
How can our law schools claim that they are training new lawyers who are ready to represent clients well when they don't even offer a course in special education law? I don't get it. I encourage more schools to offer special education law classes. I believe that potential law students may begin to apply to the schools who offer these courses as the field grows.
I learned recently that DePaul University Law School offers a special education based writing class. This is certainly a good first step. If you know of other law schools who offer special education law courses, please let me know so that I can publicize them on this blog.
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Just curious as to what textbook would you recommend for a spec ed law class? There doesn't seem to be a very good review of all the applicable case law like say health law has. Great BLOG!
ReplyDeleteThere are also only a handful of law schools that teach Education Law. I find thaat unacceptable. I teach Education Law as an Adjunct at St. John's Law School and we spend a fair amount of time on special education and related discrimination issues. St. John's also offers a special education law clinic.
ReplyDeleteMitchell H. Rubinstein
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/adjunctprofs/
I took Special Education Law at the University of Kansas. It was offered for both law students and special education graduate students (and as continuing education for others). It was taught by Rud Turnbull using the Free Appropriate Public Education textbook published by Love (5th Edition when I took the class, now in its 7th) with supplementary material including handouts of the cases for the law students. I would recommend it, but I am a contributing author--so take it as you will.
ReplyDeleteRud resigned from his faculty position at the Law School and now teaches only in the Special Education department. Law students can still take the course, but must use one of their interdepartmental credits to do so. Some other schools may offer similar courses outside of the law school because of the lack of support from the law school and higher interest in special education departments.
In terms of law school texts, Sarah Redfield, Mark Weber and Ralph Mawdsley, Special Education Law: Cases and Materials (2d ed., LexisNexis, 2007) is excellent. I personally do not use it because I teach a broader class on Education Law. I use Charles Russo, Education Law (Foundation Press 6th ed. 2006). It has an excellent unit on Special Education.
ReplyDeleteMitchell H. Rubinstein
Thanks. Just saw that the one by Mark Weber is coming out with another edition in March...think I'll wait till then but should be excellent.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the useful information. I will mention some of this in a future post. Please keep reading and supporting this blog.
ReplyDeleteU. Southern California has a Special Education & Disability Law course taught by an adjunct who specializes in special education
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information about USC. Who is the adjunct?
ReplyDeleteJG
Pepperdine University School of Law has an excellent special education law program. We not only have classes in special education law and dispute resolution in eduction (which has a strong focus on special education) but also the well known and respected Pepperdine Special Education Advocacy Clinic, which trains law students in the practicalities of special education law practice. Currently I am drafting a due process complaint for the clinic.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nick,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the information about the Pepperdine program. That's the law school where my friend Greg Ogden teaches Administrative Law.
Jim
I offered a special ed seminar at Ole Miss Law in Spring 2007. I am also the labor and employment person, so I have had trouble finding time to teach the course. I am moving to Marquette this summer and hope to teach the seminar in coming years there.
ReplyDeletePaul Secunda
Associate Prof
Marquette Univ Law School
P.S. I use the Weber Special Ed book.
Duke Law has a children's law clinic-- the students engage in legal issues related to children, and focus in on special education.
ReplyDeleteWe (Pete and Pam Wright) began teaching a Special Education Law and Advocacy course at the William & Mary Law School in January 2009.
ReplyDeleteThe William & Mary Law School opened a Special Education Advocacy Clinic to assist children with special education needs and their families with eligibility or Individualized Education Program meetings, discipline matters, mediation, and administrative hearings.
For more info about the clinic, please contact Professor Patricia Roberts at perobe@wm.edu
Pam Wright
Where can current Special Education teachers take a class that to learn more about SPED law? I am working very hard to support my students and feel as though more knowledge in this area would allow me to have more productive conversations with admin as well as general education teachers.
ReplyDelete