Speaker: Matt Cohen

Matt Cohen is well known for his work in special education law. He has been the principal litigator in a number of important special education cases. In 1997, he was invited to the White House to participate in the signing ceremony for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, in recognition of his participation in the process leading to the passage of that legislation.

Matt was a founding board member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) a national special education advocacy organization and was a member of the Board of Directors of the national Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders (CHADD) organization from 1995 to 2002. Matt also helped to organize the Children’s Behavioral Alliance, a national umbrella group for children’s mental health organizations. Under the auspices of the group, Matt was one of the authors of its nationally distributed policy statement, “In the Best Interest of All.”

Matt has lectured nationally on a wide variety of special education topics, as well as on mental health and confidentiality law and has authored numerous articles on these subjects. In 2009, Matt authored the book A Guide to Special Education Advocacy: What Parents, Clinicians and Advocates Need to Know, published by Jessica Kingsley. 

Attorneys will receive 7.5 CLEs (including 1 ethics hour)

Teachers will receive .7 CEUs