Our daughter struggled horribly throughout middle school and most of high school with absolutely no support from the schools she was attending. It was as if her 504 plan and/or IEP was non existent. We had a difficult time even trying to get an IEP established. With that being said, we decided to retain the legal services of Gail Hodes. She was able to obtain the educational support and the proper school placement our daughter needed.

Gail is extremely knowledgeable, professional and will keep you informed throughout the entire process. We are so grateful to her for everything she has done to help our daughter to completely turn her education around and make it a success!

Gail has been immeasurably helpful advocating for our son’s right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), which in his case was a therapeutic residential school. She was able to see beyond our son’s substance use to the serious mental health and learning difference issues that lay underneath, that his current School District had been aware of and effectively ignored. Our son’s case was complex, and she steadfastly advocated for our family, ultimately prevailing. Without Gail’s intimate knowledge of the special education laws in California, deep experience working with our School District, and passion for helping children with learning differences and special needs, we would not have been able to afford the care he needed. Gail is in this business for the right reasons, leading with her heart. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with her.

We had been trying for many years to facilitate our son’s needs being met in the district, but finally with Gail’s help we were able to get help for him. Her help was instrumental in our dealing with the school district on his behalf and settling the terms of his IEP.  She was professional, compassionate, responsive, knowledgeable, thorough and a good listener. Her creative solutions and excellent time management made a big difference in getting our case settled. We highly recommend her.

We are the parents of a teenage girl with Prader-Willi syndrome, a very complex and life threatening genetic disorder.  She did not do well at local Cal. High school. We tried for several years to get her transferred to a residential school which specializes in working with people with this syndrome.  No one at the school district would listen.

We finally contacted Gail Hodes. We had thought that getting a lawyer involved would be both expensive and more of the same turndowns by the school district.  We were very wrong!  Within several months, even behind school district delaying tactics, Ms Hodes was able to get us a settlement which was just about everything we wanted!

Our daughter has been at her new school for 6 months now and she loves it just as we had hoped. She has peers. She has watchful eyes and good schooling. We are very pleased.

Thank you so much, Gail.