Special Education

Federal and State laws require California school districts including those in Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine and Anaheim to provide a free and appropriate public education (‘FAPE’) which offers disabled students who are eligible under the IDEA and Section 504 to review special education services and accomodations to children with disabilities from birth through age 22. The 18 school districts in Marin  along with the Marin County Office of Education and local public charter schools all have obligations to identify, assess, locate and address all of a child’s unique disabilities so that they can access their education.

The Leigh Law Group special education attorneys apply strategy, guidance and advocacy for all of the areas of disabilities that may affect your child in school. There is no greater feeling for us or for our clients than seeing Marin children succeed.

School Law and Discipline

In California and in some cases under federal law, Los Angeles children are protected from unlawful removals from school such as suspensions and expulsions. Expulsions is the most serious type of discipline and is a long term removal from school which can affect your child going to school at all.

The types of mandatory expellable offenses include but are not limited to:

(1) Possessing, selling, or otherwise furnishing a firearm.

(2) Brandishing a knife at another person.

(3) Unlawfully selling a controlled substance listed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11053) of Division 10 of the Health and Safety Code.

(4) Committing or attempting to commit a sexual assault as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900 or committing a sexual battery as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900.

(5) Possession of an explosive.

Your child cannot be expelled unless the school district determines that no other discipline can remedy the behavior or your child poses a risk to others or to themselves at school. Your Marin County child has rights to be heard by a panel of unbiased administrators in an evidentiary proceeding.

If your child is Marin County special education student, there are additional state and federal rights entitling them to a manifestation hearing where a team meets to determine whether the Marin County school district may expel or whether the school failed to implement the IEP resulting in the behavior or whether the behavior resulted from the student’s disability. Each of these factors must be proven with testimony and evidence or the district may remove your child for more than ten days.

The Leigh Law Group is one of a small group of very experienced expulsion and manifestation hearing determination attorneys. These expulsion hearings should no be taken lightly and you should always consult with or hire an attorney given the seriousness of these charges.

Disability Rights

Golden Gate Regional Center serves Regional Center eligible children and adults in Los Angeles. These services are covered by the Lanterman Act also guided by regulations- to individuals and Marin County families to allow disabled individuals to thrive in their Marin County communities. The failure to offer appropriate IFSP’s and IFP’s may result in a Fair Hearing. With very pressing deadlines, it is critical that an individual who is denied services contact an attorney to obtain legal advice.

A resident of Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties who falls into any of the following four categories is eligible for GGRC services:

Is an individual with a developmental disability

Is an infant or toddler (up to 36 months of age) who has a developmental delay

Is an infant or toddler (up to 36 months of age) for whom there are established risk conditions that could lead to a developmental delay

Is an infant or toddler (up to 36 months of age) at high risk of having a development disability due to a combination of biomedical factors

Individuals eligible under the first category are served by GGRC's Lanterman Actservices program; infants and toddlers eligible under the latter three categories are served by the regional center's Early Start program.

Disability Rights

Who Is Eligible?

• Intellectual disability (formerly known as "mental retardation")
• Cerebral palsy
• Epilepsy
• Autism
• Disabling conditions found to be closely related to intellectual disability or to require treatment similar to that required for individuals with an intellectual disability

(This definition does not include any disabling condition that is solely psychiatric, solely a learning disability or solely physical in nature.)

In addition to the above, the disability must:

• Originate before age 18
• Be likely to continue indefinitely
• Constitute a "substantial disability" for the individual as defined by Title 17, Section 54001 of the California Code of Regulations

In addition to Regional Center Services, and Fair Hearings, the Leigh Law Group attorneys are Regional Center Fair Hearing experts with a robust history of representing individuals in hearing. The Leigh Law Group also assists families and individuals requesting In Home Support Services as well as initiating Regional Center Services.

Lastly, the Leigh Law Group represents those who are discriminated in public schools in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Colleges and Los Angeles Employment because of a disability.

Employment Law

The Leigh Law Group specializes in representing individuals who have been terminated or are experiencing harassment or unfair treatment which affects them at work. Los Angeles workers and Los Angeles employees can count on the Leigh Law Group to assist them in seeking damages or remedies for the wrongdoing of their employers. In California, both state and in some circumstances federal law govern the mistreatment of Los Angeles workers.

Our experienced Leigh Law Group attorneys can assist individuals in the following Labor and Employment Areas:

• Wage and Hour Issues
• Failure to Pay Overtime
• Employment hazard compliance issues and OSHA issues
• Discrimination in the Workplace based on sex, gender, age, race, religion, pregnancy or other protected class.
• Wrongful Discharge
• Reduction in force or layoff issues
• Breach of Contract
• Misclassification of teacher status or other public employment misclassification
• Whistle Blower and Retaliation issues
  
  

Business Law

The Leigh Law Group also understand the complexities of doing business and the legal ramifications when things go wrong for Los Angeles businesses. As business law litigators, we represent business in business contract drafting, business contract compliance and business litigation and business partner disputes. We strategize and work with our business clients to identify their goals and advise as to how to protect their businesses while minimizing risk. Commercial lease disputes, construction defect litigation and real estate disputes are some but not all of the business law matters our attorneys handle.