Carlos Chavez | Partner, Pacifica Law Group, LLP, Seattle, WA

Carlos Chavez represents public school districts and other municipal agencies and educational entities. His practice focuses on representing school districts in special education matters, including counseling, advice and all phases of dispute resolution. He also assists school districts in navigating their complex and ever-changing obligations under state and federal education law, including issues of employee and student discipline, privacy, due process, equity, and nondiscrimination. Carlos routinely provides in-service trainings for school districts on these issues and has also served as adjunct faculty and panelist in the area of school law for the University of Washington’s Danforth Educational Leadership and Leadership for Learning programs and for the University of Washington-Bothell and Seattle University teacher certification programs. Prior to law school, Carlos served in the U.S. Army Reserve. He had the opportunity to serve on two international peacekeeping missions working directly with local community members on various military information campaigns. Carlos enjoys spending time with his family, including three children, two cats and two English Springer Spaniels.

Geneva Jones | Founder/Managing Director, Geneva Jones & Associates, Sugar Land, TX

Geneva is the founder of Geneva Jones & Associates, a law firm dedicated to education. Geneva has long been recognized as one of the foremost school law attorneys in the country. She is a nationally recognized school law expert, news commentator, trainer, and public speaker on special education, discipline, disability law, and education for the socio-economically disadvantaged. Geneva explains the law in simple, common-sense language, illustrated with frequent examples from real-world experiences, and focuses on the legal framework's everyday implications. Geneva's expertise is unparalleled. She uses straight talk, humor, practical experience, and women's intuition. Geneva's speaking engagements provide a potent dose of realism and inspiration. She has shared her insights with thousands of people throughout the United States. Described by audiences as "inspirational" and "practical," Geneva's passion comes through in every word of her high-energy speaking engagements and training. Her style is fun, fast-paced, and, most importantly, actionable.

Honored as a 2021 Super Lawyer, and multi-year and multi-state Super Lawyer Rising Star, Geneva is also a Rosenthal Bar Recipient for her dedication to public interest law. Geneva is the creator of Geneva's Guidance, a professional publication providing vital information on diverse school law topics.

Geneva’s passion derives from being the parent of a student with a disability. Rare for an attorney, Geneva attended one of the only law schools in the country with a special education law program. Geneva received a full fellowship in the law school's Center for Children’s Rights. Her entire legal career has been spent representing public education agencies in their magnanimous calling to provide students an education. Geneva's child-centered legal philosophy is twofold, and she is often quoted as saying, “Let’s get back to basics. What does the law say, and what is best for students?”

Dave Richards | Attorney at Law, Richards Lindsay & Martín, LLP, Austin, TX

David M. Richards is a graduate of Texas Tech University, and the University of Texas School of Law. He is a partner in the Austin law firm RICHARDS LINDSAY & MARTIN, L.L.P., where his practice is focused on the defense of school districts and special education co-ops. Dave is the General Counsel for the Council of Educators for Students with Disabilities, and is a frequent presenter on special education and §504 at education service centers, school districts, state-wide events, and national conferences throughout the United States. His analysis on education law issues frequently appears in LRP’s publications The Section 504 Compliance Advisor, The Special Educator, and Your School and the Law.

Julie Weatherly | Attorney at Law/Owner, Resolutions in Special Education, Inc., Mobile, AL

Julie J. Weatherly, Esq. is the owner of Resolutions in Special Education, Inc. with attorneys in Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama and in Naples, Florida. Julie is a member of the State Bars of Alabama and Georgia, and for over thirty years, she has provided legal representation and consultation services to school agencies in the area of educating students with disabilities. In June of 1996, Julie appeared with Leslie Stahl on CBS news program “60 Minutes” to discuss the cost of meeting the legal requirements of the IDEA. She has been a member of the faculty for many national and state legal institutes and is a frequent speaker at special education law conferences. Julie has developed a number of videotape training series on special education law and has been published nationally as a part of her trainings, workshops and seminars. She is the author of the legal update article for the National CASE quarterly newsletter and is a member of LRP’s Special Education Attorneys Advisory Council. In 1998, Julie was honored by Georgia’s Council for Exceptional Children as Georgia’s Individual who had Contributed Most to Students with Disabilities and, in April 2012, Julie received the National Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) Award for Outstanding Service.

Garrett Williams | Attorney, Stevens Clay, Spokane, WA

Garrett Williams is a litigator who advises and defends public school districts and other large employers on a broad range of legal issues, including labor and employment, general liability, special education, and insurance and risk pool defense. Garrett’s litigation experience includes defending against actions brought in state and federal courts, administrative hearings, statutory hearings, and arbitrations. Garrett also defends against investigations by administrative agencies, conducts neutral workplace investigations, and advises employers on their internal policies and procedures.

Betsey A. Helfrich | Attorney, The Law Office of Betsey Helfrich, LLC, St. Louis, MO

Betsey, a special education attorney from St. Louis, Missouri, represents public school districts in all areas of special education law.  Betsey is a frequent presenter on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the IDEA around Missouri and nationally.  Betsey also serves as an impartial hearing officer for Section 504 appeals and has successfully handled appeals before the Court of Appeals and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of Missouri schools. 

Joel Hungerford | Partner, The Hungerford Law Firm, Oregon City, OR

Joel Hungerford is a partner at The Hungerford Law Firm, a boutique firm in Oregon that focuses exclusively on education law. Joel specializes in special education, and has represented more school districts in special education litigation over the last decade than any other lawyer in Oregon. Joel also routinely assists districts with internal and external investigations related to, including handling complaints before the Oregon Department of Education and Federal Office of Civil Rights, as well as assisting in internal complaints filed directly with the school district. Joel routinely draws upon his background in alternative dispute resolution to assist school districts to navigate potentially high friction interactions, such as contentious IEP meetings, mediations, and legal negotiations.

Jose Martín | Attorney at Law, Richards Lindsay & Martín, LLP, Austin, TX

Jose Martín is a partner with the school law firm of Richards Lindsay & Martín in Austin, Texas. For over 30 years, his law practice has focused exclusively on matters involving the education of students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504. He is a graduate of the University of Texas and the University of Texas School of Law. A background in journalism has led Jose to frequent publication in the area of disabilities laws and their impact on public schools and their students. As a litigant, he has tried cases at the due process, district court, and court of appeals levels. He currently serves as contributor to the national LRP web-based publication Special Ed Connection. As a speaker, Mr. Martín presents numerous sessions on disabilities laws to audiences at local, regional, state, online, and national conferences.

Elizabeth Polay | Attorney, Garrett Hemann Robertson P.C., Salem, OR

Elizabeth Polay represents school districts, ESDs, community colleges, and private schools throughout Oregon.  Prior to joining the Salem-based firm, Garrett Hemann Robertson P.C., Elizabeth practiced with a Portland school law firm and has substantial experience representing parents and students in special education matters. She also has extensive experience in assisting clients with navigating state and federal investigation processes with the Oregon Department of Education, the Office for Civil Rights, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry (BOLI), and the federal Department of Justice. Before becoming an attorney, Elizabeth was a high school math teacher and taught in high-needs districts and alternative settings.  Elizabeth has experience in providing school districts advice and representation related to both student and employee issues, including grievances, employee discipline and dismissals, special education disputes, due process hearing requests, and civil litigation.

Mary Schillinger | Educational Consultant/Former Assistant Superintendent of Education, Collaboration for Success, Simi Valley, CA

Mary Schillinger has been an Assistant Superintendent for Education in Southern California for 10 years. Her career began as a general education teacher and then a special education resource teacher, before she moved into administration as a district program specialist, director of special education, and assistant superintendent of education. Mary has Masters Degrees in Special Education and Educational Administration. Mary has planned the professional development and strategic planning for implementation of the Common Core State Standards for both general education and special education K-12. As an educational consultant, Mary conducts training and gives presentations on a range of topics including alignment of the IEP to new Core State Standards and successful practices in accessing the rigor of Core State Standards for students with disabilities. As part of her work as a consultant and trainer, Mary has trained county teams in a trainer of trainer’s model for best practices in supporting special education students in the rigor of new state standards. She has presented at national and state level conferences for the past ten years.

As a member of the faculty of California State University Northridge, Mary teaches courses in the special education teacher preparation and school psychology departments. She has also authored the LRP publications; The Administrator’s Guide to Building and Maintaining a Comprehensive Autism Program in 2010, Write On, A Guide to Compliant Documentation of Special Education Policies and Procedures in 2012, Common Core and the Special Education Student: Your Guide to Instructional Shifts and Implementing Services and Supports in 2014, and Successfully Implementing Core Standards for Students with Disabilities: A Professional Development Guide, in 2015. 

Mary can be contacted through her website, www.MarySchillinger.com as well as through her business, Collaboration for Success, at schillingermary@gmail.com.