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Hope Kirsch

Courtroom and classroom experience.

33 years of experience
Education Law
Arizona, New Jersey, New York

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Biography

Education attorney Hope Kirsch has both courtroom and classroom experience. She has been a litigation attorney for over 20 years in NY, NJ and Arizona. Prior to her law career, Hope was a a special education teacher and school administrator for nearly 20 years in New York City, working with children with autism and children with severe emotional disabilities and behaviors in a variety of settings, from self-contained classes to hospital schools. Her practice for the past 12 years has been devoted to special education law representing students and their families throughout Arizona in matters ranging from IEPs through due process hearings and appeals, discipline (suspensions and expulsions), bullying, restraint and seclusion, and serious personal injury claims from school related accidents and incidents.

Education

Brooklyn Law School: J.D. (1991); 1991; Honors: Dean's Merit Scholar

New York University: M.A. (1977) | Special Education; 1977

Boston University: B.S. (1975) | Special Education; 1975; Honors: cum laude

Professional Experience

Managing Attorney / Founding Member: Kirsch-Goodwin & Kirsch, PLLC; 2006 - Current; Education firm, special education, higher education.

Partner: Broening, Oberg, Woods & Wilson, PLC; 2000 - 2006; Litigation / trial attorney and appeals.

Attorney: Garrity, Graham, Favetta & Flinn, PLC; 1994 - 1999; Litigation and appeals.

Judical Law Clerk: Superior Court of New Jersey; 1993 - 1994; Judical Law Clerk, legal research, prepared memoranda of law, assisted judge with jury instructions.

Speaking Engagements

Special Education Due Process Hearings: A Strategic Guide, National broadcast: April 20, 2016; National Business Institute; Training for special education attorneys across the country.

Special Education Law: The Ultimate Guide, Phoenix, AZ: June 9, 2016; National Business Institute; Training for Arizona educators - teachers and school administrators. Addressed bullying & harassment; developing legally compliant IEPs; discipline; discrimination; etc.

Legal Issues in Special Education Disputes, Scottsdale, AZ: June 17, 2016; MyLawCLE; The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees all students with disabilities a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). To help implement these federal laws, the IDEA also guarantees parents of students with disabilities procedural safeguards to ensure their child’s rights are fully realized under the law. Among those safeguards are provisions designed to resolve disagreements between parents and schools. A panel of special education parent and school attorneys, a state investigator, an administrative law judge and federal district court judge will present a lively discussion of the IDEA, Section 504, jurisdiction of hearing officers, jurisdiction of OCR, substantive rights and procedural safeguards, how to avoid disputes, common themes and issues in disputes, dispute resolution alternatives, due process litigation, OCR complaints, appeals, types of relief, and concepts including stay-put. Gain insight into the behind the scenes handling of special education disputes by each of these key participants to better prepare you to handle special education disputes with confidence. Key topics to be discussed: Background of Special Education and the IDEA, including discussion of FAPE, LRE and Rowley Background of Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Differences between the IDEA and 504, including jurisdiction of hearing officers versus OCR and remedies available Dispute Resolution options under the IDEA Dispute Resolution options under Section 504 Risks and rewards of Due Process Complaints How parent attorneys evaluate potential cases, factors in determining whether to accept a case, and factors in deciding resolution strategies How school attorneys evaluate and resolve State Complaints, Due Process Complaints and OCR Complaints Factors in deciding whether to appeal How the judges see it

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