The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA) is an independent, organization of attorneys, advocates, parents and related professionals. COPAA believes effective educational programs for children with disabilities can only be developed and implemented with collaboration between parents and educators as equal parties. The COPAA web site is not engaged in rendering professional advice services and the information provided through COPAA’s web site or any links from COPAA’s site is provided solely as a public service. You can check out their page here: https://www.copaa.org/
The following two resources from COPAA will guide you in finding an advocate or an attorney, if necessary.
Guidelines for Choosing an Advocate
Many parents choose to use a special education advocate to support them in getting what their children need in special education. Nonlawyer advocates do not have a license to practice law, and they are not attorneys. They provide their services according to the laws of their state. Learn more about choosing an advocate on the following page: https://www.copaa.org/page/GuidelinesAdv
Guidelines for Choosing an Attorney
If you have a child with a disability, you may find that you need legal support to get the educational services your child needs. The following page will provide basic guidelines for choosing an attorney to represent your child’s interests in special education. https://www.copaa.org/page/GuidelinesAtt
July 2025