CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION IN EDUCATION AND DISABILITY LAW

Attorneys for Education Rights (“AFER”) is committed to the advancement of education rights for students with disabilities. AFER advocates for legislative and policy change, assists members with their practices in the areas of education and disability law, and increases public awareness of civil rights. This fall AFER is presenting a series of continuing legal education seminars between October 10, 2025, and December 5, 2025. Presentations will be held Fridays from noon to 1:30 pm via a Zoom platform. AFER has applied to the MCLE Board for approval of 1.5 credits of DEI ethics, 1.5 credits of ethics and professional responsibility and 9 credits of law and legal procedure.

The seminar series is being offered as a benefit of membership in AFER. The annual fee for AFER membership is $50. Use this link to sign up for membership/renew membership and to attend the fall 2024 seminar series: https://attorneysforeducationrights.org/join

The $50 annual AFER membership fee entitles members to attend as many of the eight sessions as they choose. Here is the line-up:

Session 1: Friday, October 10, 2025

Weighing the School Psychologist Report v. the Independent Evaluation

Jenna Schuenemann, Attorney at Law and Julie A. Barta, Psy.D., Ed.

The independent educational evaluation (IEE) is supposed to “level the playing field” and give parents firepower equal to the school district. But does it work out that way?

Session 2: Friday, October 17, 2025

504 – The Back Story: A Law without Enforcement

Panel Presentation: Chris Elnicki, TeamChild; Andrea Kadlec, DRW; Nicholle Mineiro, Mineiro Law

Session 3: Friday, October 24, 2025

Caselaw 2024-2025 School Year in Review

Jeannette A. Cohen, MEd, Attorney at Law Attorney

Jeannette Cohen is a founding member of AFER and a former AFER board member. Jeannette will lead us through a review of special education case decisions from last September 2024 through the end of last month, September 2025, focusing on U.S. Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit decisions. The cases reviewed are those that specifically raised issues under the IDEA.

Session 4: Friday, October 31, 2025

Title IX for K-12 Students

Keith Altman, Attorney at Law Student Defense Lawyer - K Altman Law Under Title IX, K-12 students are entitled to certain protections against sexual violence and harassment. Attorney Keith Altman will explain how to advocate effectively for student protections including: the right to a safe and nondiscriminatory learning environment that is free from sexual violence and harassment; the right to receive prompt and effective response to reports of sexual violence and harassment; the right to participate in Title IX investigations and proceedings.

Session 5: Friday, November 7, 2025

How to use deposition techniques and strategies in civil rights litigation

Jessica P. Weber, Attorney at Law Brown Goldstein & Levy Jessie Weber - Brown Goldstein Levy

Jessie is an experienced appellate litigator. She has argued before the Fourth, Sixth, Ninth, and D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeals and has also submitted briefs in the United States Supreme Court, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and in state appellate courts in Maryland and Washington State. She is known for her groundbreaking work obtaining equal access for individuals with disabilities to voting, websites, and government information and services. Jessie is well versed in both complex litigation and negotiations and enjoys using a range of tools to obtain justice for her clients. She is looking forward to sharing deposition techniques with AFER members.

Session 6: Friday, November 14, 2025

Demystifying Education Advocacy in Tribal Communities

Alexis DeLaCruz, Attorney at Law

Alexis M. DeLaCruz is the Education Attorney at the Tulalip Office of Civil Legal Aid (TOCLA) in Tulalip, WA. In this first-of-its kind role, Alexis provides direct representation to Tulalip tribal members in a variety of education matters including special education, school discipline, and equal access to education.

Session 7: Friday, November 21, 2025

Ethics for the Special Education Lawyer

Diane Wiscarson, Attorney at Law Kerri Feeney, MEd, Attorney at Law

An interactive session focused on ethical issues encountered by education lawyers near and far. 3

Session 8: Friday, December 5, 2025

Dispute Resolution through the OSPI

Alyssa Fairbanks, Assistant Director, Special Education Dispute Resolution Attorney

Alyssa Fairbanks will discuss the OSPI dispute resolution options and share statistics.

We are still hoping to have a presentation focused on what education attorneys should know in the current environment regarding immigration removals in and around school property. We are looking for a speaker on this topic and if we find someone, this will be added as a bonus ninth session for which we will request additional continuing legal education credits.

Commonly Asked Questions:

1. Does AFER record the Friday sessions so that I can watch them at a different time?

No. AFER strives to create a safe space for discussion and interaction. Therefore, the sessions are not recorded.

2. May I record the sessions myself?

No. We want the sessions to be as interactive as possible. We encourage attendees to keep their cameras on, to ask the presenters questions, and to interact with their colleagues as much as possible. This is a way for you to get to know each other and to bounce questions off of a larger group of practitioners. In keeping with our goal of creating a safe space where attorneys can learn new skills, when you sign up for membership, you are agreeing to respect the privacy of other AFER members, which includes case discussions that occur during the seminar series.

3. Is closed captioning available?

Yes. The moderator will enable closed captioning so viewers can elect to have subtitles displayed on their personal computer.

4. Do I have to apply for or submit the Continuing Legal Education credits myself?

No. If you are licensed in Washington State, we will record/ submit credits for you after each weekly presentation. Members will only receive credit for presentations they attend. If you have other questions, feel free to reach out to me, the current AFER Education Director, at the contact email below: Kerri W. Feeney, MEd, Attorney at Law kerri@feeneylaw.net