Working for Students



For nine years, I was the staff attorney for the Charleston County School District, the second largest school district in South Carolina.  I have experience with all of these challenges and much more.   I help students get the educational opportunities they deserve.  

Challenging School Expulsion and Discipline

When a student is recommended for expulsion, the clock starts ticking and you have to move quickly.  Schools have to follow the law, and their own policies, and students are entitled to appeal expulsion and suspension, but hearings are sometimes scheduled within days, and the deadline to appeal can come come up fast.   

Helping Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities are entitled to protection under federal and state law.  Schools are required to identify students that have needs, even if their families don't know it.  And schools are required to create a plan for services, and provide those services, to ensure that each student has access to a free, appropriate public education.  

Fighting Discrimination In Schools

Students of every age are entitled to be protected against discrimination.  The law guarantees that a student can't be denied admission to a school or a program, or access to sports, or any other benefit of public education based on qualities such as race, sex, or disability.