[NFBNJ] FW: 👉 Call To Action: NJ Supreme Court Seeks Parent Feedback on Opinion 56

Sat Nov 14 20:24:52 UTC 2020

>From the Desk of Rick Fox, President, Northern Chapter, National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey

Submitted by Ellen Sullivan, Affiliate Secretary

Please help support this important issue for the education of children with disabilities. Your voice is needed to help our Federation Family.

Thank you!

Note: Deadline is Monday, November 16, 2020

Subject: 👉 Call To Action: NJ Supreme Court Seeks Parent Feedback on Opinion 56

Plus, Join Us November 12 for Virtual Town Hall on Special Education 

New Jersey Supreme Court Seeks Comments

On Role Of Non-Lawyers In Special Education

Greetings!

If you are a parent of a child who receives special education services, your ability to fight for your child might be in danger because of a recent opinion from the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law (Committee). However, you can stop the opinion from taking away your ability to fight for your child by writing to the Committee by November 16, 2020.  

The Committee released  <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0016Y1T-KajD24GedWJ5A31Xb8EdDMlgxTidgydLFiVixHaMsINhs_aCKNgdZNcfCbvHO85Ozo2NVCqoyIW3iR2k7iCKhKE83_8-cAJTOSZULcXNlaU-itZ15rh8PjfDTMWiN7JZ3C7TM_jI4nGMAGAbTm6YCfQzYlbQNBFBRvg2b0kJXzBSHA6h90p13tBp-_qDP4J0UKRAYG1NawW4KRi56pLqrcRc6sAaAPZ6VrwstqLdAcSt3KDqpfwbBDsBxP5Lw9OnkT2YNY=&c=UfXtQLxeOhtNq6EianR_V4eFwzwHzHT3MJBFaOxUxWoaWx5_VxfmvA==&ch=PxML68D-jUB_j93OHEQGeAKQRqREYFV0Jy0JJXrRAv9taklfgKzBuQ==> Opinion 56 on September 30, 2020, that makes it more difficult for advocates who are not lawyers to help special education students in Individualized Educational Program (IEP) meetings and mediation conferences. Opinion 56 states it would be unethical for non-lawyer advocates to “represent” students or “speak on their behalf” in IEP meetings and mediation conferences.  

Opinion 56 would harm students with disabilities because there are not many free and low-cost legal services available to help parents navigate the special education process. Over the years, non-attorney advocates have helped parents - many of whom do not have strong educational backgrounds or even speak English - in IEP meetings and mediation conferences that can be frightening. The fear of violating Opinion 56’s unclear language would discourage the use of non-attorney advocates, thus giving school districts another advantage over parents. 

As a result of protests, the Committee suspended Opinion 56 to allow for the public to make comments on its impact until November 16, 2020. If you want to submit your comments based on your own experiences as parent and/or advocate of a student with disabilities, you may mail them to:  

Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law 

Attention: Carol Johnston, Committee Secretary 

Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex 

P.O. Box 970 

Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0970 

If you prefer, you may e-mail your comments to  <mailto:Comments.Mailbox at njcourts.gov> Comments.Mailbox at njcourts.gov instead. Please understand that no comments may be submitted anonymously.  

Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Disability Rights New Jersey at  <mailto:advocate at drnj.org> advocate at drnj.org. 

 <mailto:Comments.Mailbox at njcourts.gov> Email Your Comments Directly To NJ Courts

More on Special Education for Children

DD Network Partners Virtual Town Hall:

Focusing on Children with Disabilities

Thursday, November 12th 7PM to 8PM

Virtual Town Hall Will Address:

*     Remote, hybrid, and in-person special education services

*     Available community-based and in-home services 

*     Day care or child care options

*     Other issues raised by the participants

 <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0016Y1T-KajD24GedWJ5A31Xb8EdDMlgxTidgydLFiVixHaMsINhs_aCBkRhWficjIJCjXdUBd5NgYAXw-8GUC4_5nYml0QNSIdvfCQ8lJChmdL54-PsfPYWitcE7ii5m011Hep5llp1cbwIjpsi52SmjAKE76_BjNsHjX8rqWZb_8XV3TE2wl-qJbi5CN-3o0DuwiRppVSba_NTvLY2rIJeHf6dNQPVFOb&c=UfXtQLxeOhtNq6EianR_V4eFwzwHzHT3MJBFaOxUxWoaWx5_VxfmvA==&ch=PxML68D-jUB_j93OHEQGeAKQRqREYFV0Jy0JJXrRAv9taklfgKzBuQ==> Register for Town Hall Here

We want to hear your thoughts on what is working for your family and any obstacles you have faced through the pandemic, so we can be guided in our advocacy by the very people we aim to support. 

Send Us Your Questions In Advance

If you have questions or concerns you would like us to address during the Virtual Town Hall, please send them in advance to:

questions at drnj.org <mailto:questions at drnj.org> 

Please note that this email is specifically for questions and comments for our virtual town hall only. Any priority issues that would normally go through our intake process should still be directed to our office line at: 1-800-922-7233  

About DISABILITY RIGHTS New Jersey

DRNJ serves as New Jersey’s designated Protection and Advocacy system empowered by Congress to provide legal and non-legal advocacy services for people with disabilities in New Jersey.

DRNJ is supported by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration; U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration; and the Social Security Administration.

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