Special Education Law

The 7th Edition of Special Education Law, written by Laura Rothstein and Scott F. Johnson, provides a comprehensive and current overview of the major federal law, and judicial interpretations of those laws, that apply to special education students. School administrators and attorneys attend to special education issues on a regular basis, and local superintendents, principals, special education professionals, psychologists, and regional and state administrators must also be familiar with the legal requirements of educating students with disabilities. Classroom teachers of all types need to be aware of the laws that affect them and their students. Special Education Law 7e is intended for students in education and educational administration, both graduate and undergraduate, as well as law students in courses on special education law, school law, and special education. 

The framework of this book begins with five introductory chapters on the major issues that are addressed in special education
law. These topics include an overview the legal system, the history of special education, major statutes in special education law, stakeholders such as students, families, educators, and advocates, and finally, requirements for protection under various special education laws. The remainder of the text presents and analyzes special education case law within specific contexts. The text helps educators understand what the law requires so that they can make decisions that comply with these laws.

The 7th edition reflects major changes in judicial interpretation and education policy developments at the federal level since 2021, including the dramatic impact of the COVID pandemic on education generally and special education specifically, a new Supreme Court decision, and new references and examples throughout. 

Laura Rothstein is a Professor of Law and Distinguished University Scholar at the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, where she served as Dean from 2000 to 2005. She received her B.A. in political science from the University of Kansas and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. She began her career in legal education in 1976 and served on four other law school faculties before her appointment at the Brandeis School of Law. She began work on special education issues in 1979, while a visiting faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh, where she also served as an attorney in the Developmental Disabilities Law Project clinical program. Professor Rothstein has written 15 books and dozens of book chapters, articles, and other works on disability discrimination, covering issues ranging from special education and employment to public accommodations and access to health care. Her work focuses on disability issues in schools and in higher education. The first edition of Special Education Law, published in 1990, was one of the first books on the topic. Professor Rothstein’s parents were public school teachers, and they reviewed the first edition of the book, ensuring that the text was accessible to law students, lawyers, and those without formal legal training. Some of her other publications focusing on special education issues have included works on school choice and students with disabilities, genetic testing in schools, students with HIV and other contagious and infectious diseases, and special education misconduct issues. She is a frequent presenter at national and regional conferences of legal and education professionals and academicians.

Scott F. Johnson is a Professor of Law at Purdue Global Law School and a Special Education Hearings Officer with the New Hampshire Department of Education. He received his B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center. He is the author of numerous articles and books in various areas of education law, and he frequently develops professional development programs for educators and presents at national conferences. Prior to teaching, Professor Johnson practiced law and was involved in a number of precedent-setting education law cases. He began as co-author of Special Education Law with the Fourth Edition, and he brings to the text current practical perspectives.