Greenberg Traurig Files Amicus Supreme Court Brief in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District
Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) November 23, 2016 -- Caroline J. Heller, litigation shareholder and chair of Greenberg Traurig LLP’s Global Pro Bono Program, submitted an amicus brief, filed Nov. 21, in the case of Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (“Endrew F.”), which asked the United States Supreme Court to answer the question: “What is the level of educational benefit that school districts must confer on children with disabilities to provide them with a free and appropriate public education guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.?”
The amici are the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and the California Association for Parent-Child Advocacy. These amici have an interest in the Endrew F. matter because they are organizations that work to ensure that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education, emphasizing special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.
In their amici curiae brief, the amici propose the following standard: “A child ‘benefits from’ instruction when the services target all areas of educational need in order to ensure achievement consistent with non-disabled peers in the general education curriculum so as to enable students to be prepared for post-school activities.”
“The Supreme Court's decision in this case is significant to children with disabilities and their families. A free appropriate public education that confers educational benefits consistent with the standard proposed by the amici will enable children with disabilities to attend college, graduate school or professional school, obtain vocational training, obtain employment, and achieve self-sufficiency,” Heller said. “In other words, it will facilitate their becoming productive members of our society.”
About Greenberg Traurig’s Pro Bono Program
Greenberg Traurig lawyers across the firm’s offices provide pro bono legal services to the indigent and working poor, as well as to numerous civic and charitable organizations dedicated to assisting them. The firm focuses its resources on specialized and interrelated issues including civil rights and affirmative action, anti-human trafficking, family law matters, criminal appeals, immigration and political asylum, housing and homelessness.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 2,000 attorneys serving clients from 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm is No. 1 on the 2015 Law360 Most Charitable Firms list, second largest in the U.S. on the 2016 Law360 400, Top 20 on the 2015 Am Law Global 100, and among the 2016 BTI Brand Elite. More information at: http://www.gtlaw.com.
Lourdes Brezo Martinez, Greenberg Traurig, +1 (212) 801-2131, [email protected]
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