California: Education Lawyers

Education lawyers represent parents and their children in cases involving students' access to public school education, rights of special needs students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), discrimination in education, and more. When you need help to make sure that your child receives an appropriate education, contacting an education law attorney near you is the first step.

Use the list of education law professionals that we've compiled to hire a local education law lawyer to help with the issues your child is facing at school.

What Can Special Education Lawyers Do?

Within the field of education law, there is a subset of special education attorneys who are primarily focused on fighting for special needs children and those with learning disabilities. These attorneys can:

• Build a case for your child's eligibility for an individualized education program (IEP).
• Guide you through the IEP meeting preparation process and potentially attend the IEP meeting with you.
• In some instances, attorneys may even participate in the IEP drafting process.
• Represent clients in due process hearings when disputes arise.

Education Lawyers Help With All Types Of Education Law Issues

In addition to offering legal advice about special education and general education law-related topics, education law attorneys answer detailed questions such as:

• What rules can school districts and school boards set regarding student safety and discipline?
• Are there different laws or regulations for how public schools and private schools in the United States can act toward students?
• Is there a difference in regulations that apply to higher education institutions compared to elementary schools, middle schools and high schools?
• Do public health issues (such as the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic) modify how schools can treat students? Do those issue change what options schools must offer, such as distance learning?
• How does Title IX protect against discrimination?
• Can an education lawyer help with civil rights issues?
• Can a lawyer attend a due process hearing?
• What options do I have if my child's right to free speech has been violated by a school or teacher?

FindLaw's Lawyer Directory is the largest online directory of attorneys. Browse more than one million listings, covering everything from divorce to DUI to employment law. The directory covers lawyers all across the state, including Irvine, Long Beach, Beverly Hills, San Jose, Ventura, Fresno, Palm Springs, San Bernardino, and anywhere in Northern California or Southern California.

FindLaw's detailed California law firm profiles have information like the firm's areas of law, office locations, office hours, and payment options. Attorney profiles include the biography, law school education and training, and client recommendations of an attorney to help you decide who to hire.

Use the contact form on the profiles to find a lawyer in California for legal advice.

Finding the best lawyer for your unique situation can be a challenge, but the best way to hire a good California attorney is to talk with them, ask them questions, and make sure they meet all your needs. This usually starts with their practice area. Determine which lawyers can handle your type of case and then find a California attorney with experience in that area. So it will be important to ask about each lawyer’s years of experience, legal training, and strategy to your unique legal case.

The attorney-client relationship may also be important. If it is your first time dealing with a legal issue, you may be looking for a lawyer who can clearly and patiently explain the legal process, identify your options, and answer all your questions. You may also want an attorney who is available at any time to provide legal advice. Think about questions to ask, like if there are updates to your case, how will that be communicated? Are there specific California law deadlines that you are required to meet?

The location of your attorney's law office may also be an important factor. In larger cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, or San Francisco, you may want to find a lawyer with a convenient location to you so that you don't have to drive an hour just for signing legal papers. However, some legal services can be primarily conducted through phone calls, emails, written correspondence, and video calls, so you could, for example, have a lawyer in Sacramento handle your legal issues in Riverside.