EdLaw Attorneys attended and Presented the 2023 COPAA (Council of Parents Advocates and Attorneys, Inc.) Conference

Mar 6

From March 2nd through March 5th, EdLaw attorneys attended the 2023 COPAA (Council of Parents Advocates and Attorneys, Inc.) Conference at which they networked with other education law attorneys from across the country, attended many educational sessions on current topics, and were the presenters at a number of sessions.

The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA) is an independent, nonprofit, §501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization of attorneys, advocates, parents and related professionals. There are 7 million children with disabilities in America1. COPAA's 3100 members work to protect the legal and civil rights of and secure excellence in education on behalf of tens of thousands of students with disabilities and their families each year at the national, state and local levels.

EdLaw attorneys are frequent presenters at COPAA's annual conferences. This year their presentations included:

Tim Sindelar and James Baron (a private attorney on CAFL's bar advocate panel and a SEAM mentor) led a pre-conference session on March 2nd entitled: "The Ins and Outs of Ethics - Staying IN Business While Staying OUT of Trouble."
On March 4th, Michele Scavongelli and Tim Sindelar led a breakout session entitled "Representing Students with a Disability on Title IX Issues under the New Regulations."
On March 5th, Marlies Spanjaard and Elizabeth McIntyre led a breakout session entitled "Removing Barriers to a Vocational Education: Supporting Students with Disabilities Who Wish to Attend Vocational High Schools."
And finally, also on March 5th, Michele Scavongelli & Tim Sindelar gave a presentation entitled "When You're Happy and You Know It: The Ins and Outs of Stay Put."

By staying involved with colleagues across the country and an organization that is actively involved in promoting national legislation to support the rights of disabled students and submitting amicus briefs in key special education court cases, EdLaw is continuing our mission to end the school-to-prison pipeline through our work in Massachusetts and our work at a national level.