ABOUT
Peter Sansom represents school districts in special education and general student matters including discipline. He emphasizes a cost-effective, proactive approach to managing legal disputes. His areas of expertise include the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and general student matters including suspensions and expulsions.
Mr. Sansom has prevailed in special education due process hearings before the Office of Administrative Hearings in many cases and successfully defended local educational agencies in United States District Court and before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He also assists clients with California Department of Education compliance complaints and Office for Civil Rights investigations.
Mr. Sansom conducts presentations to support school districts in training personnel on legal compliance. He is also the co-author of California School Law, which is in its Third Edition and published by Stanford University Press.
SERVICES
Mission Statement
Mr. Sansom supports school districts in educating children through the provision of cost-effective legal services.
Clients
Mr. Sansom currently represents the following school districts:
- East Valley SELPA
- Irvine Unified School District
- Murrieta Valley Unified School District
- Riverside County SELPA
- San Jacinto Unified School District
Trainings
Mr. Sansom frequently customizes trainings and presents on a range of topics relevant to special education including child find, assessment, the individualized education program team meeting process, defensible autism programming, discipline, and working with parents in difficult meetings.
He has conducted presentations for school district and charter school personnel, school boards, education law attorneys, law students, graduate students, and the parents of children with disabilities.
Cases
Mr. Sansom has obtained positive outcomes in a range of matters including cases regarding residential placements, non-public schools, autism programming, assessment and independent educational evaluations, and the least restrictive environment.
Due process hearing decisions obtained by Mr. Sansom can be searched and reviewed here: