[NFBNJ] May 11 Special Education Open House information Disability Rights NJ virtual session

Wed Apr 28 21:58:21 UTC 2021

From: Gaston, Pamela
Date: Wed, Apr 28, 2021 at 11:21 AM
Subject: Fw: May 11 Special Education Open House information Disability
Rights NJ virtual session

<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001yrfmt9m1wmGLsGqs7_yeLHw1QLwI5Nr13v2e2ObK9edpi_E0zWP4vfkWtMjTPZ_yPBkr2z6XnLcmcnk83gfTCSEMJu6XPAxqcIF2rInAmJXGJrqGfqonPfImTqd5Jy5If1HJ8pUqre-M72VK_W0GOQ==&c=mpGK7GQunKmBwNuRGhgMRzqE2IuZ4foWsBc-hsA65iGZsHQNAX6dCQ==&ch=up_nnPlNhdj169jh651oMeK1zYpBLIWLr3ejlkhw599MgqtRB2bsPQ==__;!!J30X0ZrnC1oQtbA!Y_upQx3xobkwZJAovt7aPysP6p062GBOaM61ny8vAaRaDI4IUtF--yWtoC8pvRxPHFwkmOY$>
Opinion 57: Non-Lawyer Special Education Advocates and the Unauthorized
Practice of Law – Superseding Opinion 56
What You Need To Know
On April 9, 2021, the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Committee on the
Unauthorized Practice of Law (Committee) issued a new ethics opinion, known
as Opinion 57
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001yrfmt9m1wmGLsGqs7_yeLHw1QLwI5Nr13v2e2ObK9edpi_E0zWP4ve8jUHLGrx6SYWNqmdxCRi9pEjTSYhJfdhE94WZ25htSg9VUbXtrKJhhAUPgtk0VAT8bwhld3GdFSc9F6yHljF-eEcq6dKiiy6D48lz_iRCqSKjVwFEf__lAJCLXgY_Od4W9HZdlENU5ourbAf5afP8dyB1cd_uKUOZ5uxr6mXR5TPB9PPof-S8=&c=mpGK7GQunKmBwNuRGhgMRzqE2IuZ4foWsBc-hsA65iGZsHQNAX6dCQ==&ch=up_nnPlNhdj169jh651oMeK1zYpBLIWLr3ejlkhw599MgqtRB2bsPQ==__;!!J30X0ZrnC1oQtbA!Y_upQx3xobkwZJAovt7aPysP6p062GBOaM61ny8vAaRaDI4IUtF--yWtoC8pvRxPZqUaHGU$>,
that addresses the issue of whether non-lawyer advocates can represent or
speak on behalf of special education students in IEP meetings and mediation
conferences. The Committee determined that non-lawyer advocates are
practicing law when they are advising, representing, or speaking on behalf
of students at IEP meetings and mediation conferences.

However, the Committee recognized that special education is complicated to
understand and that there is a lack of lawyers with special education
knowledge available to help parents who need them. It is for this primary
reason why the Committee determined non-lawyer advocates with special
knowledge or training of special education laws and procedures can
represent students in IEP meetings and mediation. The Committee made it
clear that non-lawyer advocates must have explicit permission from the
parent to appear at the IEP meeting without the parent. The explicit
permission requirement does not apply to court-appointed special advocate
(CASA) volunteers.

The Committee also made it clear that non-lawyer advocates must have the
parent accompany them during mediation. However, these advocates do not
require explicit permission from the parent to communicate with the school
district in less formal settings.

Read More About Special Education
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Special Education Virtual Open House: May 11
Do you have questions about IEP meetings, student evaluations, compensatory
education, transition services, and the dispute resolution process to your
child's special education needs?

Join the Special Education Team from Disability Rights New Jersey on Tuesday,
May 11 at 3pm for an hour-long virtual Open House to learn about special
education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two of Disability Rights NJ’s experienced special education experts will be
available to answer questions regarding various topics under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Register for Virtual Open House
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001yrfmt9m1wmGLsGqs7_yeLHw1QLwI5Nr13v2e2ObK9edpi_E0zWP4vesvOZyPSXu71YdvHl-YE3OfAB_5nysONq2lZPNwba8gwt_WludhNyXblOi8RRj_NQxXzgIQ5YmVUxsqp1xejvN_LaF7joSEhSAeMbp01h0ImxAn6xsixHw7kNSeVFQ1rZRhp300M2VwdRQeWWUusKwF_1v2QBd9GiXLzK8-zfD2&c=mpGK7GQunKmBwNuRGhgMRzqE2IuZ4foWsBc-hsA65iGZsHQNAX6dCQ==&ch=up_nnPlNhdj169jh651oMeK1zYpBLIWLr3ejlkhw599MgqtRB2bsPQ==__;!!J30X0ZrnC1oQtbA!Y_upQx3xobkwZJAovt7aPysP6p062GBOaM61ny8vAaRaDI4IUtF--yWtoC8pvRxPY8iCS7o$>

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-- 

Warmly,
Linda Melendez, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
732-421-7063
Email: president at nfbnj.org
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