Webinar Title: The Five Legal Pitfalls District Leaders Must Avoid This Year

Date: Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Time: 1-2 pm ET (10-11 am PT)

Cost: No Charge

Abstract: What do the coming transition to CCSS, growing awareness of bullying, reauthorization of IDEA, implementation of RTI, and the explosive growth in autism and related communication disorders have in common? Any of these five could create legal pitfalls for your school district this year. District leaders can steer clear of entanglements by understanding new legislative provisions and by knowing how to avoid common mistakes. Join your colleagues for an important and timely briefing and a question and answer session with one of America's leading SPED attorneys.

During this webinar, you'll get valuable SPED legal guidance, including:

• What you can do to avoid SPED procedural compliance mistakes with IDEA.
  
• The most common record-keeping errors districts make with special-needs students.
  
• How to document your efforts to address bullying and harassment cases.
  
• Legal considerations when providing outside services of SLPs and other experts to help autistic students.
• Why fulfilling your SPED obligations under RTI could present legal issues.

Panelist: 

• Charlie Weatherly, Sr. is one of the founding partners of the Weatherly Law Firm, LLP based in Atlanta, Georgia. Charlie has represented educational agencies across the country in special education matters since 1978 and has practiced exclusively in this area since 1990. As a seasoned and experienced trial lawyer advocating for educators and school administrators, he has earned a national reputation for his expertise in all facets of special education and anti-discrimination laws. He was involved in Congressional reauthorization and amendment of IDEA and has previously testified before the Senate Disability Policy Subcommittee on the subject. Additionally, Charlie has provided expert testimony on behalf of educational agencies in litigation matters involving IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. He has represented clients in more than 200 matters that were adjudicated or resolved at various stages of the legal process, many of which involved students with autism and/or the issue of residential placement services. Charlie received both his B.A. and J.D. from Emory University, in addition to an L.L.M. from New York University.