Dave is a 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 has published numerous articles in the Texas School Law News and Apex Insurance’s The Report Card, 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. A few of his recent presentations are referenced below. Evaluations routinely report that Dave is both very informative and far too funny to be a lawyer.

Selected Publications:

“2006 IDEA Final Part B Regulations; What You Need to Know,” (113-page pamphlet co-written with Jose Martin, published by LRP in 2006.

“The IDEA Amendments: What You Need to Know.” (62-page pamphlet co-written with Jose Martin, published by LRP in 2005).

“The Dos and Don’ts of Section 504: Step-by-Step Training to Ensure Compliance,” (27-minute videotape produced by LRP Publications in 2004).

“The Top Section 504 Errors: Expert Guidance to Avoid 25 Common Compliance Mistakes,”  (50-page pamphlet published by LRP in 2003).

“Settlement Agreements and Special Education: The Essentials for Successful Dispute Resolution,” (61-page pamphlet published by LRP in 2002).

Selected Presentations:

Mr. Richards presents on a variety of topics to varied audiences throughout the United States. A few recent presentations are listed here as examples.

Utah Department of Education Annual Special Education Conference, Ogden, Utah, August 6, 2009 (The Blurring Line of “Specially Designed Instruction” and Absences, Truancy and the Special Education Student).

Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators, Little Rock, Arkansas, August 3-4, 2009 (General Session on Discipline for Principals, Breakout sessions on Recent Special Education Cases and Changes, Section 504, IDEA and Early Intervention). 

Region 13 Education Service Center, Hill Country Institute, Fredericksburg, Texas, June

11 & 25, 2009  (Ethics and IEP procedures for diagnosticians and school psychologists).

LASEA, New Orleans, June 10, 2009 (Special education update and relationship of early

intervention and special education for Louisiana special education directors and

administrators).

30th National Institute on Legal Issues of Educating Students with Disabilities, Las

Vegas, Nevada, May 27-29, 2009 (Section 504 Update including ADA Amendments, and

relationship of early intervention and special education for a national audience of regular

and special educators).

Region 19 Education Service Center, Border Conference, El Paso, Texas, February 25,

2009 (Can the Parent of an IDEA-eligible student do that?  A review of parent rights

under IDEA for regular and special educators, including the new regulation on

withdrawal of consent). 

Hawaii Department of Education Section 504 Mini-Conferences, October 20-31, 2008,

Big Island, Maui, Kauai, Oahu, Hawaii (8 full-day and one ½ day presentation on Section

504, special education and early intervention for regular and special educators).

TCASE Academy, Arlington, Texas, October 7, 2008 (When does a student need special

education? Presented for a Texas special education directors and administrators).

Florida Department of Education, Administrator’s Management Meeting, St. Petersburg,

Florida, September 17-18, 2008 (Section 504 issues on allergies, asthma and chemical

sensitivity, and the intersection of Section 504 evaluation data and accommodation). 

Marathon County Special Education’s 11th Annual Summer Law Institute, June 19, 2008,

Madison, Wisconsin (special education and early intervention for regular and special

educators).

 

LRP Audio Conference, May 13, 2008 (Section 504 issues arising from allergies, asthma

and chemical sensitivity for a national listening audience). 

29th National Institute on Legal Issues of Educating Students with Disabilities, Charlotte,

North Carolina, May 4-6, 2008 (Grades, grading and the IDEA, and relationship of early

intervention and special education for a national audience of regular and special

educators). 

Virginia Commonwealth Department of Education Training for Special Education

Hearing Officers, Richmond, Virginia, April 24, 2008 (Special education update and due

process hearing issues for hearing officers).