Lisa Postlewait is an associate attorney at Ruder Law. Lisa also serves as an Allegheny County Solicitor, serving the Office of Children Youth and Families in child abuse and neglect matters. She serves as the chair of the Internal Operations Committee for the Board of Directors at Community Living and Support Services (CLASS).Previously, Lisa worked as a staff attorney at KidsVoice for over six years advocating on behalf of abused and neglected children involved in the juvenile and dependency court systems. Lisa earned her law degree from Duquesne University in 2010 where she earned the CALI Award for the Highest Grade in Employment Discrimination and a Distinction in Clinical Work for her pro bono work with the Community Enterprise Clinic. During law school, Lisa worked full-time at Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania where she served in multiple roles, including positions in Workforce Development and Employer Services where she helped people with barriers obtain employment. Lisa graduated cum laude from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2005 with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in Sociology.

Jason Sam is an Associate with Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams, LLP. His practice includes civil rights, special education, contract disputes, employment law, and tax assessment matters. He came to the firm from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, a high volume, high pressure environment, working in both the Motions Court Pre-Trial Unit and the Municipal Court Unit. In these roles, he successfully balanced a substantial caseload with proactive client communication and interaction, all while mentoring interns and new hires and managing other duties. During law school, he completed internships at a Washington, D.C. law firm and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is a graduate of American University Washington College of Law, J.D., and Temple University College of Liberal Arts, B.A. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the PA School Boards Solicitors Association and the PA Bar Association.

A graduate of Moravian College with a B.A. in History and Business Management. He was the President of Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society and studied abroad in Scotland. Mr. Romberger received his Law degree from The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University. He was a Board Member and Business Manager of The Dickinson Journal of International Law and received the Comparative Law Award. He was a summer intern for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law in Vienna, Austria. Prior to joining the firm Mr. Romberger practiced law for eight years with a well-known law practice representing educational institutions in general education, disabilities and student services, civil rights, policy development, contracts and service provider arrangements, administrative hearings and appeals and state and federal court litigation. He previously served as a Pennsylvania Special Education Hearing Officer and was a federal law clerk to Hon. E. Mac Troutman with the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. His concentration is in the areas of special education and pupil personnel. He is a member of the Federal and Pennsylvania Bar Associations and the Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors’ Association.

Ms. Donaldson is an attorney in the Litigation, Education and School Law, Employment and Discrimination and Family Law practice groups at Eastburn and Gray, PC. She has been representing school districts and their employees in all aspects of school law including special education matters for nearly fifteen years. She routinely fields questions and counsels school administrators on various regulatory compliance issues relating to their daily needs and works hand-in-hand with those leaders to assist with improving the educational programs and services within the schools. She is additionally called upon to provide in-service trainings and presentations on a variety of school law topics and has presented CLEs at the Annual School Law Conference at Lehigh University and PBI’s Exceptional Children’s Conference. She also is a fierce advocate in special education litigation matters where she represents school districts in administrative due process hearings. Additionally, she has vast experience handling special education appeals in the federal courts, both at the district court and circuit court levels, and she has successfully argued before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to special education matters, she represents school districts in student discrimination, student discipline, truancy and other student rights matters. Ms. Donaldson also assists school districts with their employment law matters, such as employment discrimination claims which arise under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA). In addition to assisting school districts, she assists private employers and employees in employment discrimination claims, drafting employment contracts and contract disputes. She additionally utilizes her advocacy and litigation skills to assist private clients in family law matters, including divorce and custody matters. Prior to her career in private practice, she was an Assistant District Attorney at the Philadelphia District’s Attorney’s Office where she worked in the Municipal Court, Appeals and Civil Litigation Units. During this time, she conducted criminal bench trials, litigated criminal appeals and argued before the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Additionally, as part of her work in the Civil Litigation Unit, she served as defense counsel for the District Attorney’s Office and its employees in federal and state civil rights lawsuits, including prisoner civil rights and employment discrimination suits, and assisted with matters involving records requests, employee discipline and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests. She is a member of the Bucks County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association. She is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Ms. Donaldson earned her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College majoring in Scientific and Philosophical Studies of the Mind. She is active in the Doylestown community serving as a youth soccer coach and Girl Scout leader.

Patricia R. Andrews is a partner with the Law Firm of Andrews & Price, working primarily in the School Law Section. She represents the firm’s school clients and acts as special counsel to a number of school districts in Right to Education of Exceptional Children special education due process hearings and has done extensive work under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These cases are litigated as administrative hearings through the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office for Dispute Resolution. Ms. Andrews also represents school districts on IDEA issues at the appellate level in both the United States District Court and Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. Ms. Andrews has prepared seminar materials and provided numerous in-services and seminars at the local and state level in the area of special education. She provides in-service training through the Intermediate Unit to Special Education Directors and to local school district principals and staff. She has given seminars through the Pennsylvania School Board’s Association to board members and school solicitors and through the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, National Bar Institute and Lorman Education Services. In addition to her work in special education, Ms. Andrews provides general solicitorship services to the firm’s school clients. She advises districts in the area of students’ rights, including residency issues, confidentiality of student records and First Amendment rights. Ms. Andrews has represented both the Administration and School Boards in student disciplinary matters involving suspension and expulsion hearings. She also works with the Administration on personnel issues, including contract grievances, disciplinary hearings and termination proceedings. Ms. Andrews coordinates the firm’s publication of the Special Education Alert newsletter published through the Tri-State School Study Council and the University of Pittsburgh. She also provides pro bono legal guidance to the Homeless Children Family Emergency Fund and has worked with school districts on the McKinney Act, a federal statute protecting the educational rights of homeless children.

Ms. Bradley is a co-founding Partner of Bradley Goldsmith Law, LLC located in Wyomissing PA. Ms. Bradley represents clients across the state of Pennsylvania in all aspects of special education matters. In addition, she has represented juveniles charged with criminal acts as well as families facing PIAA disputes. Prior thereto, Ms. Bradley was an Assistant District Attorney in Berks County where she prosecuted defendants charged with felony and misdemeanor crimes. Ms. Bradley was also an adjunct professor in the Political Science Department at Albright College where she taught Criminal Law and Civil Liberties. Ms. Bradley graduated cum laude from Villanova University School of Law in 1999. She graduated magna cum laude with honors from Susquehanna University in 1996. Ms. Bradley is a member of the Berks County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She is active in her church and her community where she volunteers for St. Ignatius Loyola School and Berks Catholic High School. Ms. Bradley also provides trainings to various organizations across the state of PA. She has also published articles for The Pennsylvania Lawyer and The Berks Barrister. This year Ms. Bradley’s firm was voted “Top Lawyers” in Berks County in Special Education and Juvenile Law. She was also presented with PBA’s Special Achievement Award for her dedication and commitment to ECC for the past 5 years.

Alyssa Hicks is an attorney with King Spry. She is an experienced education and special education attorney who represents school districts and institutions of higher education in both state and federal court. Her practice includes defending schools in matters involving sexual abuse and harassment, constitutional claims, employment disputes, and special education. In addition to her litigation practice, Alyssa is deeply committed to proactive legal support and training. She regularly advises and educates administrators, teachers, and school staff on a wide range of topics, including special education best practices, student discipline, professional boundaries, and child accounting. Alyssa is passionate about working with schools because it gives her the opportunity to equip administrators with the tools and knowledge they need to protect students and create safe, supportive learning environments. A native to the Lehigh Valley, Alyssa enjoys her involvement in local community organizations including the Nazareth Blue Eagle Education Foundation. Attorney Hicks graduated cum laude from Widener University Commonwealth Law School where she received the Dean’s Award, Outstanding Service Award, Best Oral Argument Award, and an Advocacy Certificate. She graduated magna cum laude from Shippensburg University with a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in Communications/Journalism.

Jacqueline C. Lembeck is an attorney at McAndrews, Mehalick, Connolly, Hulse and Ryan P.C. in the Special Education department. She provides advice and representation to families of students with disabilities regarding all aspects of special education evaluation, identification, programming, placement and procedure. Ms. Lembeck uses her past experiences representing both parents and school districts to anticipate legal challenges and offer creative solutions to her clients’ concerns. She represents clients in all stages of special education disputes including IEP meetings, mediations, resolution meetings, and administrative due process hearings before the Office for Dispute Resolution, and Federal court actions/appeals. Ms. Lembeck earned her Juris Doctor, with honors, from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia, where she graduated in the top ten percent of her law school class.  While in law school, Ms. Lembeck served as a student attorney at the Barton Child Law and Policy Center in the Appeal for Youth clinic. She was awarded the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement for her representation of juveniles in criminal appeals. Prior to law school, she graduated summa cum laude from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. After law school, Ms. Lembeck served as a law clerk and attorney advisor to Administrative Law Judges at the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. 

Ms. Say is the Chair of Stock and Leader’s School Law Group and practices in the areas of education (school) for public school districts throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In her school practice, she has developed expertise in advising school districts in special education, gifted, discipline, and civil rights matters. She counsels her clients through internal compliance audits and defends them in administrative hearings and federal litigation. She represents school districts before various administrative bodies, including the Bureau of Special Education, Office for Dispute Resolution, Office of Civil Rights, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and in federal and state court. In more recent years, she has served as an expert witness in various special education matters. Ms. Say is privileged to hold a position on several insurance panels as counsel for school districts who are subject to claims under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. She serves as a court-appointed certified mediator in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. In her local practice, Ms. Say pioneered the Stock and Leader Special Education Series, which includes a compilation of seminars addressing the latest topics in Special Education presented to Special Education Directors, Supervisors, Pupil Personnel Administrators, head teachers and School Psychologists. During the COVID‐19 pandemic of 2020, she hosted weekly conference calls with her clients, guiding them in their navigation of the legal pitfalls of educating disabled students in their virtual and hybrid educational settings. She regularly presents for the PA Exceptional Children’s Conference (ECC), Lehigh University’s various Special Education Conferences hosted by Dr. Perry Zirkel, Pennsylvania School Board Association, and Pennsylvania Bar Institute workshops. In 2021, she was selected to give the time‐honored “Year in Review” for the ECC, alongside a parent attorney/colleague. More recently, she has enjoyed speaking across the United States to special educators, at the Tri‐State Law Conference for Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa, the Utah Law Conference, and the Northern Plains Law Conference for North and South Dakota and Montana. In 2012 and for eight consecutive years, Attorney Say was named to the Pennsylvania Rising Stars list as one of the top up‐and coming attorneys. The list, published nationwide in Super Lawyers® magazines, highlights individuals under the age of 40 who have significantly impacted their professional careers. Additionally, she was the recipient of the Legal Intelligencer, Lawyers on the Fast Track in 2015. In 2020, she was awarded the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal’s Women of Influence award.

Mr. Warner, originally from Eldersburg, MD, is a magna cum laude graduate of Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA with a B.A. in Political Science. He went on to receive his J.D. from the Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Warner has been practicing law since 2007, when he began his career with the education law firm of Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams, where he remains today as a Partner. His practice focuses primarily on the representation of Pennsylvania school districts in matters of special education. While Mr. Warner devotes much of his practice to representing clients in matters of special education litigation, he also spends a significant amount of time providing in-service training to school districts regarding various matters, including development defensible special education programming and confidentiality/disclosure issues involving education records, gifted programming, development of comprehensive special education evaluations, and navigating IEP meetings. He also frequently presents at conferences focused on special education legal issues. He has served as a co-chair of the Exceptional Children’s Committee since 2016.

Kristen Weidus is a Partner at Ruder Law, where she focuses her practice on education and disability rights law. Kristen also manages the firm’s federal practice, where she represents students and their families discriminated against because of race, sex, gender, gender identity, disability, and otherwise. As a resident of Greensburg, Kristen remains active in the Westmoreland Bar Association, currently serving on its Board of Directors, Bylaws Committee, Co-Chairing its Women In Law Committee, and formerly chairing the Young Lawyers Committee and Membership Committee. She received the Westmoreland Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award in 2016, and currently serves as a Zone 6 Delegate in the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s House of Delegates. Kristen was also selected as a Pennsylvania Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Kristen graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law in Washington, DC in 2012. She worked as a law student attorney in the Took Crowell Institute for At-Risk Youth, representing students with disabilities enrolled in the DC Public Schools. Kristen graduated Cum Laude from Hiram College in 2009, and is currently the President of Hiram’s Alumni Executive Board. Kristen is licensed to practice in the state courts of Ohio and Pennsylvania, the United States District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Ms. Snyder is the Chair of the Special Education Law Practice group at McKenna Snyder LLC. She concentrates her practice in the areas of: special education law, charter school law, education law, school reform & insurance defense. She represents clients in a variety of matters pertaining to state and federal laws and regulations, including but not limited to IDEA and Section 504. Prior to entering private practice, she clerked for the Honorable Bonnie Brigance Leadbetter of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. While in law school, she interned for the Honorable Juan R. Sanchez at the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. She received her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law, where she earned the Theodore L. Reimel Distinguished Service Award. She received her B.A. in English, magna cum laude, from Villanova University. She has been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle & Western Districts of PA, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the Supreme Court of Ohio. Ms. Snyder is also a member of PBA’s Legal Services for Exceptional Children Committee and has been an invited lecturer at state and national conferences on special education and education law topics, including sessions at: PBI’s Exceptional Children’s Conferences; Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools’ conferences; Education Law Association and Lehigh University. Ms. Snyder may be reached at: [email protected].

Ms. Goldsmith has been serving the needs of children and families in the area of special education for 20 years. Prior to founding Bradley Goldsmith Law, Ms. Goldsmith practiced law at McAndrews Law Offices. During her 19 years at McAndrews Law Offices, Ms. Goldsmith became a Shareholder of the firm and was Supervising Shareholder of the Special Education Department for almost 10 years. Ms. Goldsmith is the Parent Attorney Representative to the Stakeholders Council of the Office for Dispute Resolution and has recently been appointed to the Professional Advisory Board of the Learning Disabilities of America. Ms. Goldsmith frequently speaks at National and State-Wide Special Education Conferences including the LDA, Arthritis Foundation, COPAA and PBI. Ms. Goldsmith offers substantial expertise in the area of Special Education Law and handles a wide variety of special education matters, civil litigation cases and criminal justice issues.

David G. C. Arnold practices in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. He is also Of Counsel to the law firm Robson & Robson. Mr. Arnold graduated from the Villanova University School of Law in 1987. Mr. Arnold has been admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Sate of New Jersey since 1987. Mr. Arnold is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third and Fourth Circuits, and the United States District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, and the District of New Jersey. Mr. Arnold maintains an active special education practice which is limited to the representation of students and their families. Mr. Arnold brought and won the landmark special education case Lower Merion School District v. Student Doe, 593 Pa. 437, 913 A.2d 640 (2007).  Mr. Arnold lectures frequently on topics related to special education law.

Ms. Brooks is the Administrative Partner at Wisler Pearlstine. She is a member of the firm’s Special Education and Education Law practice groups, focusing her practice on advising school administrators on legal issues in student services and special education. A strong advocate for her clients, Ms. Brooks helps schools understand and navigate the existing legal framework to proactively achieve their goals. She routinely attends school board meetings, litigates for schools in administrative and local agency proceedings through the appeals process and defends them against legal claims brought under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act (IDEIA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Ms. Brooks also represents schools in investigations by the PA Department of Education and US Office for Civil Rights. A former teacher and collegiate coach, Ms. Brooks brings practical, knowledgeable experience, from her involvement in the educational community, to her practice. She advises school clients regarding student records and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), issues of risk management, matters of child abuse and reporting under the Child Protective Services Law, Homelessness under the McKinney Vento Act, sexual harassment, and gender equity involving Title IX, and bullying and harassment investigations under Pennsylvania’s Anti-Bullying Law. In addition, Ms. Brooks handles matters regarding the Public School Code of 1949, including transportation, enrollment, residency, custody, discipline, charter schools, Pennsylvania Approved Private Schools, and private schools.

Christopher J. Conrad is a shareholder in the Camp Hill, PA office of Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin, PC. Mr. Conrad is a member of the firm’s Professional Liability Department and Co-Chair of the firm’s Special Education Law Practice Group. Mr. Conrad devotes a significant portion of his practice to the representation and defense of school districts, intermediate units, career and technology centers and other academic institutions in all manner of employment, civil rights and special education litigation. Mr. Conrad is a 1998 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University and a 2001 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law, where he volunteers as an Adjunct Instructor. Mr. Conrad also serves pro bono as a certified mediator for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of PA.

Aimee Rankin Zundel has been an education attorney for her entire legal career. She founded Zundel Law in 2022. Prior to opening her own practice, Aimee was a Partner at Weiss Burkardt Kramer, a leading Pittsburgh education law firm representing public school district clients. Throughout her time as a legal advocate, Aimee has used the same collaborative, student-centered approach she is known for. Aimee has represented clients at all levels of state and federal court, as well as administrative agencies such as the Pennsylvania Office for Dispute Resolution, Office for Civil Rights and Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Aimee has expertly handled special education cases, student discipline matters, employment matters, and Title IX investigations. Aimee graduated, magna cum laude, from the University of Mount Union with a B.A. in Sociology. She obtained her law degree from The University of Pittsburgh in 2008, where she participated as Senior Research Editor for The University of Pittsburgh Law Review. Aimee was named a Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2020-2022, and proudly serves as Vice Chair of the PBA Exceptional Childrens’ Committee.

Ms. Metcalfe has practiced special education and pupil services law since 2010 and has represented both school districts and parents. She is currently the Managing Attorney of Special Education for Raffaele & Associates, LLC where her focus is advocating for students and families in all aspects of education. She has expertise in all areas of special education: analyzing and providing advice regarding special education documents, attending IEP meetings, litigating due process hearings, and advocating for clients in federal court. She has conducted numerous professional development and training opportunities for parents, teachers, administrators, attorneys, and other professionals regarding the IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the corresponding Pennsylvania special education regulations as well as the gifted regulations. Prior to her special education practice, Ms. Metcalfe began her law career as a public defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia representing both adults and children in criminal matters which gave her extensive training in the courtroom as a litigator. She then transitioned to the Child Advocate Unit and represented dependent youth in Philadelphia in both dependency and delinquency court. Ms. Metcalfe graduated from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2002 with recognition in Outstanding Oral Advocacy and cum laude from Muhlenberg College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts in both Political Science and Philosophy. She is barred in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Kalani Linnell is an experienced education law practitioner with a keen understanding of the issues from both a legal and practical standpoint. She advises clients in matters involving special education, student civil rights, and operations/practices. She is an associate with Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams LLP. In the years before joining the firm, Kalani worked with law firms with significant education law practices. She also worked as an investigator and hearing officer for a consulting firm that advised educational institutions in major areas of legal compliance. She also worked as a teacher in a large Pennsylvania school district prior to attending law school. As such, she has a deep understanding of the challenges teachers and administrators face on a daily basis in terms of discipline, safety, and plan/goal implementation. She is especially dedicated to the issue of Title IX compliance, both its historic regulations and the impending new directives. In 2020, she was invited to join a select group of attorneys providing guidance on the rules to the State University of New York. She also advised the Pennsylvania School Board Association on model policies relating to Title IX, and she has delivered a number of live presentations on the subject, including “The Intersection of Title IX and Special Education” at the Council for School Attorneys/National School Boards Association conference in 2023, and “The Equitable Application of Title IX,” to the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) Law and Leadership Academy in 2024. She maintains a constant commitment to professional development by seeking opportunities to learn, grow and share through client in-service training, writing legal alerts and articles on cutting-edge topics, and presenting live continuing legal education programs and seminars. She is a graduate of Drexel University, Thomas R. Kline School of Law (J.D., cum laude) and West Chester University of Pennsylvania (B.S.Ed., magna cum laude). She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and the U.S. District Court, Eastern and Middle Districts, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.

Ms. Alvarado founded Alvarado Law, LLC, which is dedicated to representing students and families, including Spanish speaking families, in obtaining appropriate special education services as well as reasonable accommodations for entrance, licensing, and certification examinations for persons with disabilities. She has secured appropriate special education services, placement in the least restrictive environment, independent educational evaluations, compensatory education, and tuition reimbursement, in administrative proceedings and federal court. As a frequent speaker to community groups, bar associations, and advocacy organizations, Ms. Alvarado provides an understanding of student’s rights and access to special education, including the impact of recent legal developments on our students. As a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Committees of Legal Services for Exceptional Children and the Learning Disabilities Association of America, she addresses issues involving equity in education for low income and culturally diverse populations. She is a 2022 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the ARC of Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Ms. Alvarado is published in the Pennsylvania Bar Association Quarterly and L.R.P. Publication, and is featured in newspapers, podcasts, and Puerto Rican Panorama, a talk show addressing the concerns of the Latinx population. She was born in Ecuador and as an attorney who is culturally Latina and fluent in Spanish, has successfully represented hundreds of children with disabilities for 30 years.

Mr. McAndrews has worked for over forty (40) years in the public and private sectors in several roles in the fields of estate planning and disability law. He is the founder and Managing Partner Emeritus of McAndrews, Mehalick, Connolly, Hulse, and Ryan Law Offices, P.C., a fifteen attorney law firm with offices in Berwyn, Scranton, Wyomissing, Wilmington Delaware, and Metropolitan Washington D.C., which regularly represents individuals and their families in a variety of areas, including estate planning/administration, special education matters, special needs trusts, elder law, abuse of vulnerable persons, guardianships, higher education abuse/discipline matters, and injury cases. He frequently acts as a consultant to other public and private attorneys with regard to estate planning/administration, disability and special education issues. Mr. McAndrews has served as Executive Director and Staff Counsel to two select committees of the Pennsylvania State Senate which evaluated Pennsylvania’s system of care for the intellectually disabled and drafted proposed legislation designed to modernize Pennsylvania’s legal basis for the provision of care to the intellectually disabled. He served for fifteen (15) years as a Special Education Hearing Officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and was assigned to determine the appropriate educational classification, program, and placement of school-age children with disabilities. Mr. McAndrews was also selected to serve as one of the first appellate hearing officers in Pennsylvania under new Department of Education regulations. During his seventeen (17) years as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia area, and thereafter in criminal defense matters, he handled many cases involving defenses of mental disability. He successfully pursued a conviction against the wealthiest murderer in American history, John E. DuPont, for the murder of Olympic gold medal wrestler, David Schultz. He is also a frequent contributor for national and local news media involving legal and political issues and has offered commentary for CBS, NBC, NPR, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Legal lntelligencer, and many other news outlets. For over 30 years, Mr. McAndrews was an instructor of Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice and Business Law at Villanova University, Immaculata University and Drexel University. He is a frequent lecturer to national conferences, Bar Association Committees and advocacy groups concerning special education, estate planning/administration, the rights of the elderly and individuals and with disabilities and has authored numerous articles regarding these matters. He has served as a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Elder Law Council and served for a decade as Chairman of The Disability Law Committee of the Delaware County Bar Association. Mr. McAndrews obtained his law degree from Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law in 1978 and was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education together with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Villanova University in 1975. Dennis is the author and sole actor of a play entitled “If JFK Survived Dallas: Presidential Reflections of an Elder Statesman”. He has also written “The Open” a screenplay which chronicles Ken Venturi’s dramatic victory in the 1964 United States Open Championship where he overcame heat exhaustion to achieve a triumph after years of being a washed-up tour professional.