Frequently Asked Questions

S.E.L.F. Legal Aid provides free, direct legal representation to eligible Connecticut families navigating special education disputes.  If you have already received an attorney grant for your child, you are not eligible to apply to S.E.L.F. Legal Aid.  If you have received an advocate grant for your child, you are still eligible to apply to S.E.L.F. Legal Aid if your income is at or below 125% of the Federal Minimum Poverty Guidelines, consistent with the eligibility standards utilized by legal service organizations throughout the state.

Special Education Legal Fund provides two types of grants to families. The Attorney Grant Program enables a qualifying family to retain a special education attorney through a one-time grant of $6000. The Advocate Grant Program enables a qualifying family to obtain special education advocacy support through a one-time grant of $1500.

An Attorney Grant covers up to $6000 of a family’s special education legal expenses provided through a qualified special education attorney that meets S.E.L.F.’s professional guidelines. An Advocate Grant covers up to $1500 of special education advocacy expenses provided through a qualified special education advocate on S.E.L.F.’s list.

Grants are reviewed monthly by S.E.L.F. during the school year and applicants are notified of S.E.L.F.’s decision by the end of the month in which they apply.

No, Special Education Legal Fund does not make recommendations about attorneys to applicant families or families who have been approved for a grant. Families are responsible for securing their own legal representation, subject to S.E.L.F.’s professional guidelines.

This list represents active attorneys in Connecticut and New York who have previously accepted grants from S.E.L.F. on behalf of clients and should not be construed as an endorsement by Special Education Legal Fund or any of its representatives of any of the attorneys whose names are included on this list.

Barger & Gaines (Paul Barger)

The Law Offices of Terry Bedard

The Law Offices of Lawrence Berliner

The Law Offices of Meredith Braxton (Meredith Braxton, Naomi Nova)

Courtney Spencer Law

Feinstein Education Law Group (Andrew Feinstein, Jillian Griswold)

The Law Offices of John Flanders

Forte Law Group

Michael Gilberg, Esq.

The Law Offices of Dana Jonson

The Law Offices of Jennifer Laviano and Melissa Gagne

Andrew Keller, Esq.

Piper Paul Law

Special Education MAP (Melanie Dunn)

DBH Legal (David Heuvelman)

Lloyd Donders, Esq.

Stacy M. Sadove, Esq.

Attorneys must meet the following qualifications:

1. Have at least seven years of experience practicing special education or disability rights law
2. Devote a majority of their legal practice to special education law
3. Be a member in good standing of the Connecticut Bar Association or New York State Bar Association
4. Be licensed to practice law in Connecticut or New York

Following approval, the attorney grant applicant is required to schedule and participate in an onboarding call with S.E.L.F. to discuss the attorney-client relationship, grant procedures and answer any questions regarding representation. The applicant must retain an appropriate special education attorney or non-approved special education advocate within 30 days of the approval date. Failure to complete the onboarding process and retain representation within the designated time frame may result in withdrawal of the grant approval.

Each month Special Education Legal Fund receives many more applications than grants that we can support. If your initial application is not approved, you may be eligible, upon invitation, to reapply in the following month’s grant cycle.

Both the Attorney Grant Program Grant and the Advocate Grant Program are available on a one-time basis per child per family. If you have received an Advocate Grant for your child, you may apply for an Attorney Grant for that child after a 3 month waiting period.