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We help our clients understand the twists and turns of each and every case. Because of our focus on representing public schools, your case will be handled by seasoned, experienced attorneys who will serve as strong advocates on your behalf. In addition to our concentration in all areas of education law, some of our attorneys also practice in the area of general insurance defense litigation. These knowledgeable attorneys handle a wide variety of litigation, including (but not limited to) personal injury, professional liability and premises liability.

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Special Education

Special education lawyers in our firm are recognized on a state and national level for their knowledge and experience serving school districts. Their hands-on experience as diagnosticians, counselors, speech and language therapists, and teachers makes them uniquely suited to understand and meet the challenges of special education.

Walsh Gallegos's special education attorneys provide full service legal counsel to handle the most difficult ARDs, the toughest TEA complaints, and the most complex state and federal regulations. Some of these services are:

 

  • Consult by phone and in person with the superintendent, designated special education directors and administrators, and the board of trustees regarding special education issues.
  • Attend board meetings to advise on special education and Section 504 issues, as directed.
  • Provide clear, concise, written opinion letters, as requested, confirming legal advice on special education matters to administrators and the board.
  • Provide special education training and workshops for special education staff and for general education staff affected by special education matters.
  • Review and assist in drafting special education policies and procedures to comply with state and federal regulations.
  • Advise and assist special education staff in preparing proper documentation for special education educational decisions.
  • Review documentation by special education teachers, directors, diagnosticians, psychologists, and other special education professionals to advise the District regarding proper educational recommendations and decisions for special education students.
  • Attend and assist in Admission, Review & Dismissal (ARD) Committee meetings, as directed.
  • Negotiate with opposing counsel, as directed, in resolving special education matters threatened with appeal to TEA Impartial Hearing Examiners.
  • Prepare staff and experts for ARD committee meetings, as directed.
  • Prepare witnesses and present the District’s case in administrative hearings before TEA Impartial Hearing Examiners.
  • Provide such other student special education law services as directed by the superintendent or the board of trustees.

 

In the past several years, Walsh Gallegos special education attorneys have handled with great success several appeals to the United States District Courts and the Fifth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. The opinions and judgments rendered in those cases created new precedent in the Fifth Circuit related to unreasonable protraction of litigation by parents’ counsel and resulted in one of the first awards of attorneys’ fees against the parent’s counsel and in favor of a school district, as well as awards of the cost of appeal against the parent’s counsel.

 

 

For further information about the law firm: contact Diana Stangl at 512-454-6864 at the firm's principal office in Austin, Texas