Newsroom Article

2022 PAPSA Conference to Again Feature Paul Stevens Memorial Legal Seminar

News Release

Posted on in Press Releases and Announcements

New Britain, PA – Three attorneys from Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams LLP will lead the legal discussion on special education and pupil services at the 44th Annual Pennsylvania Association of Pupil Service Administrators (PAPSA) conference on April 7-8, 2022. The theme of this year’s conference – to again be held virtually - is “The New Pupil Services Puzzle: Putting the Pieces Together.”

Sharon W. Montanye, Thomas C. Warner and Jane M. Williams will update attendees on court decisions, regulations, and best practices, among other topics during the “Paul Stevens Memorial Legal Seminar,” an annual tradition at the conference. Sweet Stevens attorneys began the tradition of presenting at the conference as a tribute to the firm’s founder Paul Stevens. Stevens served as PAPSA’s legal advisor and conducted workshops on relevant issues up until his untimely death. PAPSA then established the seminar as an ongoing feature of the conference. It is typically held the as the closing session, spanning the entire second day of the event, and consistently earns top ratings from participants.

The participating Sweet Stevens attorneys are exceptionally qualified to address these topics:

  • Managing Partner Sharon Montanye understands the underlying issues that influence special education litigation. Prior to joining the practice of law, she spent nearly a dozen years working in the field of education as a certified teacher, administrator, grant writer, and peer reviewer for both the U.S. Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
  • Partner Thomas Warner represents Pennsylvania school districts and entities in matters of special education. He also provides in-service training to districts on a variety of matters including the development of defensible special education programming and confidentiality/disclosure issues involving education records.
  • Partner Jane Williams brings over 25 years of experience in special education law. She has served as a hearing officer and advisor to school boards in student expulsion matters and has provided school district boards with in-service programs concerning special education and pupil services.

PAPSA is the only organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania specifically devoted to issues concerning pupil services programs in schools. Members of the organization have supervisory or administrative responsibility in fields such as counseling, health, psychology, home and school visitation, social work, special education, gifted education and student assistance. For more information, visit papsa-web.org

Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams, LLP was formed in 1995 by nine experienced education lawyers who created the first private law practice in Pennsylvania dedicated entirely to Education Law. Since then, the firm has grown to 24 attorneys who represent over 290 school and municipal entities as Solicitors or as Special Counsel in more than 50 counties throughout Pennsylvania.

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