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Ensuring Section 504 Compliance & Best Practices for California School Districts

60 minutes

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About this webinar

Join legal experts Dave Richards and Jose Martin for a webinar tailored specifically for California school districts navigating the complexities of Section 504. This session will addressed the most pressing 504-related questions from registrants and provide expert guidance on compliance, documentation, and more. Gain insights into California-specific trends, recent legal updates, and best practices to support students effectively.

What you’ll take away from this webinar:

  1. Status of State Legal Challenges to Section 504 and Their Impact 
  2. Mental Health & 504 Eligibility – Best practices for addressing the growing number of students needing mental health accommodations. 
  3. Coordination Between 504 & Special Education – Distinguishing when a student needs a 504 Plan vs. an IEP in California. 
  4. Parent & Advocate Involvement – Managing increasing parent advocacy and legal challenges around 504 eligibility and services. 
  5. Best Practices for Documentation – Ensuring defensible and compliant 504 plans with streamlined processes. 

Featured Speakers

Jose L. Martín

Attorney at Law

Jose L. Martín, Attorney at Law, is a partner with the school law firm of Richards Lindsay & Martín, L.L.P. in Austin, Texas. His practice focuses exclusively on disabilities issues and litigation affecting the schools, including special education consulting and litigation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. He represents dozens of public school districts in Texas, and has developed a close understanding of the day-to-day challenges faced by schools in achieving compliance with state and federal disabilities laws. He is a graduate of the University of Texas in Journalism, and the University of Texas School of Law.

A background in writing and journalism has led Jose to frequent publication on various areas concerning the legal issues surrounding public schools and their disabled populations. For three years, he served as Chief Editor and Writer for the RLM Texas Disability Law Advisor, a monthly publication on disability law issues affecting Texas public schools. He currently serves as Contributing Editor to The Special Educator, an LRP Publication on special education law that has the largest circulation of any periodical of its kind in the U.S. As an avid believer in preventive legal practices, he gives numerous presentations in the above-mentioned areas, including national and regional conferences on IDEA and §504, and at hundreds of local in-services and workshops in the area of disabilities law. Jose’s speaking engagement evaluations are consistently and unanimously positive, citing his working knowledge, experience, accessibility, and humor.

David M. Richards

Attorney at Law

David M. Richards, Attorney at Law, received his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University in 1985, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While at Texas Tech, he received the Allen Scholarship from Pi Sigma Alpha for excellence in political science. Dave received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989. During law school, he was a member of the Legal Research Board (1987-88) and a Notes and Comments Editor on the Texas International Law Journal (1988-89). He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1989.

Dave is the managing partner in the Austin law firm Richards Lindsay & Martín, L.L.P. The firm is devoted entirely to the defense of school districts and special education cooperatives. He focuses his school district practice on the areas of §504 and special education. He was the editor and a contributing author to The Texas Principal’s Handbook, and co-author of School Risk Management and Public Officials Risk Management. His presentations and materials have also been referenced numerous times in LRP’s Section 504 Compliance Advisor, The Special Educator, and Your School & the Law.

He is General Counsel for the Council of Educators for Students with Disabilities (CESD), and a frequent speaker on disability law topics at schools, as well as regional, state, and national conferences throughout the country. Evaluations routinely report that Dave is both very informative and far too funny to be a lawyer.

Discover the Frontline Difference

Frontline Education is a leading provider of school administration software, dedicated to helping K-12 leaders achieve their district’s goals. Our solutions empower administrators to manage critical areas like finance, HR, special education, and student health efficiently. Trusted by over 10,000 school district clients, Frontline delivers the insights and tools needed to save time, improve compliance, and support school leaders to drive positive outcomes.

Related Resources

Nearly Everything You Need to Know About Section 504

Nearly Everything You Need to Know About Section 504

Download the eBook Now
Key Differences Between Section 504 Plans and IEPs

Key Differences Between Section 504 Plans and IEPs

Read the Blog Post
 

Frontline Section 504 Program Management

Frontline’s exclusive partnership with Dave Richards and Jose Martín helps you stay confident that your 504 process stays up-to-date. Behind the scenes, they annually update the software’s forms to reflect and address changes in law, guidance from the Office for Civil Rights, and rulings from the courts.

Frontline Section 504 Plan Management Software helps you:

  • Demystify case management and easily develop Section 504 Plans with OCR-compliant forms
  • Get ahead of compliance risks with legally defensible documentation
  • Keep staff on track with critical deadlines

Bring Clarity to your 504 Processes  
 

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