March 11, 2022
Amy T. Brooks
On June 21, 2022, Amy T. Brooks will present Settlements of IDEA Cases: Strategic X’s and O’s at Lehigh University’s 2022 Special Education Law Symposium.
This session will be chock full of nuanced legal, yet highly practical, information regarding the settlement process primarily under the IDEA, but secondarily extending to Section 504 and the ADA. The systematic analysis will cover all levels of the adjudicative process: pre-complaint, administrative prehearing and hearing stages, and during federal court appeals. Learn what you need to know from district and parent-side attorneys to be well prepared in whether, when, and how to settle special education disputes. What are the major factors to consider on each side and at each level? When and how does insurance coverage factor into settlement? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the various third-party alternative dispute resolution mechanisms? What are common mistakes in the drafting of settlement agreements that lead to unsatisfactory results? What do the IDEA and the related case law say about enforcement and confidentiality of settlement agreements? What are useful provisions to include in settlement agreements for (1) protecting the rights of the child and the prerogatives of the school entity, and (2) increasing the likelihood that the parties will move forward positively in their post-settlement relationship?
Lehigh University’s intensive one-week symposium provides a practical analysis of legislation, regulations, and court decisions relating to the education of students with disabilities. The symposium is designed for special education coordinators and teachers, principals, psychologists, parent advocates, charter school personnel, attorneys (on both sides), hearing officers, state education agency personnel, and other individuals interested in a thorough exploration of the special education legal landscape.
Throughout the symposium, twenty-nine accomplished special education attorneys (both sides) will provide instruction and resource outlines exploring the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, their respective regulations, and the most recent federal court decisions.
For more information, click here.
