A 100-plus-page manual for parents, children, advocates, and attorneys, The Right to Special Education in New Jersey is a comprehensive resource tool written by the Education Law Center (ELC) and printed by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. The second edition of the guide was made available in mid-August.

With 10,000 copies of the updated manual in print and an electronic version available on the websites of ELC and the State Bar Foundation, The Right to Special Education in New Jersey is designed for broad distribution and use. An extensive mailing list of individuals, from court clerks to DYFS staff and special education attorneys, receives a copy, and individuals who turn to ELC for special education-related advice are provided with one, as well.

The manual is a complete compendium of special education topics, from evaluations to placements, from preschool to parent advisory groups. It also contains sample parent letters, citations to hundreds of federal and state statutes and regulations, and a list of resources.

"Everything related to special education is in the manual," said Ruth Lowenkron, a Senior Attorney at ELC who worked on both editions, "and I say that without much exaggeration."

Lowenkron, who focuses on special education litigation at ELC, said that over the years ELC attorneys have received so many calls for information and assistance regarding special education that it became apparent that there was "a real need to get a how-to manual out there."

The first edition of the manual, written by ELC attorney Ellen Boylan with assistance from other staff attorneys, appeared in 2004. But state and federal special education law changed shortly after publication.

"This is a highly regulated field, and lots of things change," Lowenkron said, adding that the second edition is current as of the publication date.

Lowenkron noted that ELC is particularly grateful for the hard work of attorney David Giles, who spearheaded the manual’s revision. Giles devotes much of his law practice to special education cases and works with ELC to assist and refer families with special education concerns.

Copies of The Right to Special Education in New Jersey are available through the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. To order, call 1-800-FREELAW.

Prepared: September 4, 2008