Practices & Industries

Riker Danzig is dedicated to helping clients obtain special educational services for their children with disabilities and special needs throughout New Jersey.  Whether parents are seeking an evaluation of their child, developing an IEP with the child study team, or need counsel at administrative hearings and on appeal to the courts, our goal is to give families assurance that their children will receive the special education services the children need and deserve.  We will advocate vigorously for your child and provide the counsel many families seek as they navigate the complexities of special education.

Riker Danzig provides full-service counseling and representation to secure special education services, including representation in all forms of disputes, such as those arising under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other federal and State statutes.

We are knowledgeable about the State-approved private schools in New Jersey for children with disabilities, as well as the 20 State-approved programs for students with disabilities located outside New Jersey.  We are also knowledgeable about many of the private schools that are not State-approved.  We understand the complex laws designed to guide school districts and administrative law judges when they decide whether a school district must pay the tuition and related costs for children to attend these schools.  Most families cannot afford private school tuition, so there are often battles over the attempts by parents to compel school districts to pay tuition for these schools when their local school district lacks an appropriate educational program for their child.

Whether your child is on the autistic spectrum, has severe learning disabilities, has a developmental disability, suffers from vision problems, including blindness, or hearing deficiencies, including  deafness, has school phobia that prevents him or her from attending school in person, or has any of the other disabilities recognized in state and federal law, we have the experience and expertise to advise you on whether to seek a private school placement, on how to approach your child study team, and, if the child study team does not agree to the private school placement, how to prevail in a challenge before an administrative law judge.

Riker Danzig’s over 50 years of experience in education law stands ready to provide effective and efficient legal services for families of children with disabilities.  Our education attorneys have extensive knowledge and expertise in special education law.  Having represented schools and school boards for many years, we are uniquely qualified to guide and counsel families in overcoming the challenges often faced in obtaining the special education services to which their children are entitled under the law.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss the particular special education needs of your child.  We are happy to provide an initial consultation in our special education practice without charge. Please feel free to contact Riker Danzig Counsel Teresa Moore at tmoore@riker.com for more information.