At LRP’s National Institute on Legal Issues of Educating Individuals with Disabilities® in New Orleans, you’ll experience a comprehensive, engaging, and high-quality program focused on the most effective ways to serve students with disabilities while maintaining compliance with special education and disability laws. We’re currently developing the 2026 agenda and will post details once available, but for now take a look at the 2025 program.
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Erin Gruwell
Founder, Freedom Writers Foundation, Long Beach, Calif.
Erin Gruwell is an acclaimed teacher, author, podcaster, and activist dedicated to championing equity and social justice. She first captured national attention through an ABC Primetime Live special where she and her 150 students, known as the Freedom Writers, shared their transformation from adversity to triumph. Their journey was chronicled in the book The Freedom Writers Diary, which became a #1 New York Times bestseller and was later adapted into the major motion picture starring two-time Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank as Erin. Erin will describe how she transformed her classroom into a community of learners who supported each other and how special educators can inspire their students and develop an environment filled with trust and communication.
Karen Haase
Attorney, KSB School Law, PC, LLO, Lincoln, Neb.
Join School Attorney Karen Haase for a lively review of the year’s most impactful judicial and administrative decisions in special education. This fast-paced session will keep you engaged as you discover the legal trends shaping the field, all set to the tune of pop music's greatest hits. Get ready to learn and hum along to the legal highlights from 2024 that every special education professional needs to know. Plus, Karen will offer her take on the rapidly changing federal landscape and what it may mean for you!
Geneva Jones
Attorney, Geneva Jones & Associates, PLLC, Sugar Land, Texas
You've heard plenty about chronic absenteeism plaguing schools nationwide. It is a primary cause of low academic achievement and a powerful predictor of which students will eventually drop out of school. Even sporadic absences can significantly hinder the progress of students with disabilities, and it is nearly impossible to provide FAPE when truancy and excessive absenteeism prevents a child from accessing the educational environment. While not all absenteeism stems from a disability, IEP teams are compelled by law to investigate and address student attendance. Join attorney Geneva Jones as she explores the causes of school refusal and chronic absenteeism, including factors that interfere with student attendance. Geneva will highlight specific special education laws and court cases, pointing out the obligations that fall on the school and IEP team and providing real ways to address absenteeism and improve student outcomes.
| Sunday | April 27, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Registration Open |
| 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Pre-Conference Morning Symposiums |
| 12 - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch On Your Own |
| 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. | Pre-Conference Afternoon Symposiums |
| Monday | April 28, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| 7 - 8 a.m. | Networking Breakfast |
| 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. | LRP Bookstore Open |
| 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Registration Open |
| 8 - 10 a.m. | General Session |
| 10 - 10:45 a.m. | Refreshment Break |
| 10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions |
| 12 - 1:30 p.m. | Networking Lunch |
| 1:30 - 2:45 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions |
| 2:45 - 3:15 p.m. | Refreshment Break |
| 3:15 - 4:15 p.m. | General Session |
| Tuesday | April 29, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. | Networking Breakfast |
| 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. | LRP Bookstore Open |
| 7:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. | Registration Open |
| 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. | General Session |
| 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. | Refreshment Break |
| 10:15 - 11:30 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions |
| 11:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. | Networking Lunch |
| 1:15 - 2:30 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions |
| 2:30 - 3 p.m. | Refreshment Break |
| 3 - 4:15 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions |
| Wednesday | April 30, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| 7 - 8 a.m. | Networking Breakfast |
| 7 - 9:45 a.m. | LRP Bookstore Open |
| 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Registration Open |
| 8 - 9:15 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions |
| 9:15 - 9:45 a.m. | Refreshment Break |
| 9:45 - 11 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions |
| 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions |
| 12:30 - 1:45 p.m. | Lunch On Your Own |
| 1:45 - 5 p.m. | Post-Conference Symposiums |
Geared toward special education leaders who develop systems, programs, processes and policies that strengthen the working environment, support student achievement, optimize resources and enhance organizational outcomes. Sessions are on point for state and local special education directors, superintendents and assistant superintendents, Section 504 coordinators, principals and assistant principals, directors of private schools, and regional coordinators.
Effectively addressing student behavior may be the most pressing issue in schools today. Special education directors, directors of school mental health and behavioral services, school psychologists, behavior specialists, clinical services coordinators, and trauma trainers will get the latest strategies to approach discipline dilemmas and student mental health under federal laws.
To earn continuing legal education credits, or CLEs, attorneys can attend one or both sessions based on application of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct in the special education context.
With sessions for every role in special education, this track includes comprehensive coverage of schools' obligations to provide all children with disabilities with a free appropriate public education. School attorneys share insights on the most significant cases and common procedural missteps, and experts outline best practices and resources.
Building a better understanding of how to avoid discrimination claims and provide all students an equal opportunity is the goal of each session in this track. Section 504 coordinators, administrators, social workers, counselors and service providers will receive unparalleled professional development while learning how to make defensible disability and 504 plan determinations.
Supercharge your Special Ed Connection subscription with insider tips straight from the legal editors, experts and trainers who are behind this innovative online resource. Whether it's identifying best practices, keeping up with the latest court decisions, or modeling a sample form or policy, you'll see how this professional development tool can advance staff knowledge and skills.
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