Events
2024 Special Education Advocacy Summit
2024 Special Education Advocacy Summit
This two-and-a-half-day special education advocacy training program will occur at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. It will commence with a reception on Wednesday evening, June 5, 2024 and conclude on Saturday afternoon, June 8, 2024. Connell Michael, LLP and Wrightslaw sponsor the Special Education Advocacy Summit (SEAS).
The program will feature approximately fourteen sessions covering applicable laws, ethics, best practices in advocacy, strategies for working with parents and schools and dispute-resolution procedures. These sessions will be taught by national leaders in the field.
The purpose of the SEAS program is to provide training in special education advocacy for experienced advocates, law students, new attorneys and attorneys new to special education law.
Proceeds from the Summit will support the Center for Legal and Social Justice, providing free legal services from attorneys and second and third-year law students to income-qualified clients in San Antonio and South Texas. Students will enjoy hands-on experience in all aspects of case handling under the direct supervision of a faculty member of St. Mary’s University School of Law.
Registration
Attendees will be selected via an application process. Applications will be reviewed on a bi-weekly rolling basis until the class is full. Early applications are recommended as the class size is limited.
Attorneys: $990.00 (CLE credit is anticipated)
Advocates, Educator/Advocates, non-attorneys and non-credit-seeking law students: $825.00
Two or more advocates or attorneys from the same organization/office will receive a 10% discount on each registration. The registration fee includes an opening reception, all lunches and scheduled breaks, an evening reception and over $250.00 of materials, including books and multimedia training from Wrightslaw, books by author Patricia L. Johnson Howey, as well as other valuable resources. In general, educational and training expenses are tax deductible. Check with your accountant about deductible educational expenses that may include books, continuing legal education fees and travel costs.
I learned an incredible amount from this summit and have been able to help parents more effectively this year. I cannot speak highly enough of the experience. Thank you all for putting it on again to send out even more effective advocates for our kids.
-Terri Fisk
President, Deaf Kids Can
The Florida Coalition for Spoken Language Options
Whatever your current level of IDEA subject-matter knowledge, SEAS will boost it. It’s an invaluable opportunity to immerse in deep study and engagement with renowned experts and thought leaders representing students with disabilities. I emphatically recommend SEAS for lawyers and non-lawyers alike, as a platform that will elevate your advocacy, and enable you to make wonderful connections within this community.
-Walt Kramarz
Kramarz Law, LLC
Schedule
Click here to download the full schedule.
Alumni Registration
Topics
The program will include sessions on applicable laws, ethics, best practices in advocacy, strategies for working with parents and schools and dispute-resolution procedures taught by national leaders in the field.
Topics include:
- History and Applicable Laws
- Ethics in Special Education Advocacy
- Caselaw Review
- Understanding Evaluations, Tests and Measurements
- Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
- Section 504
- Eligibility
- Behavioral Issues at School
- Discipline
- Juvenile Justice
- Dispute Resolution and State Complaints
- Preparing a Case for Trial/Due Process
- Using Evaluations, Tests and Measurements as Evidence
- Evidence Strategies
- Legal Claims and Remedies
- Creating Systemic Change in Your State
Hotel Information
Drury Inn and Suites
9806 Interstate Hwy 10 West
San Antonio, TX 78230
A block of rooms is reserved for SEAS attendees at the Drury Inn and Suites. The hotel is 20 minutes from the conference site at St. Mary’s University School of Law and 20 minutes from the San Antonio airport. The group room rate (before taxes and fees) is $126.00 per night for a room with a king bed and is $135.00 per night for a room with 2 queen beds and includes complimentary hot breakfasts and complimentary evening drinks and snacks. The group room rate expires on May 15, 2024, so please book your visit before May 15th to receive the group room rate.
Special Education Advocacy Summit School District Interest Form
SEAS is looking for advocates with experience independent of employment in a school district, as we expect that our graduates assist parents in advocating for children within the community. If you are currently working for a school district, we recommend that you wait to apply until you are no longer working for a school district and have gained significant experience advocating for children in your community. Please fill out the form so we can keep in touch. If there is sufficient interest, SEAS will consider adding a pre-conference day focused on advocacy skills for educators.
Scholarship Opportunities
Kayla Bower Scholarship Application (non-attorney advocates)
The Kayla Bower Scholarship is a scholarship for a lay advocate in the 2024 SEAS class who is not eligible for any outside funding to attend SEAS. Only lay individuals are considered for this Award. Attorneys are not eligible.
The committee will consider the following factors:
- Contributions to special education advocacy
- Financial need
- Representation of under-served children (military families, English language learners, foster children, court-involved youth, families in geographic areas with limited special education resources, and other at-need populations)
This award covers the registration fee. The award recipient is responsible for lodging, incidentals and all other costs.
The application for the award will not be considered unless accompanied by a completed SEAS application. To apply for the award, please complete the application below.
Cuddy Law Firm Law Student/New Attorney Tuition Waiver
The Cuddy Law Firm, P.L.L.C. is sponsoring a tuition waiver for a law student or newly admitted attorney to one member of this year’s SEAS class. In reviewing award applications, the committee will consider the applicant’s demonstrated enthusiasm for special education advocacy and desire to serve under-served populations. This award covers the registration fee. The award recipient is responsible for lodging, incidentals, and all other costs.
The application for the award will not be considered unless accompanied by a completed SEAS application. To apply for the award, please complete the application below.
Special Education Advocacy M.Jur. Concentration
The St. Mary’s University School of Law offers a Master of Jurisprudence degree with a concentration in Special Education Advocacy.