Upcoming Programs

Topic:

Special Education Basics and Due Process Hearings at OATH

Date:

Wednesday evening, 5/28/2025 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Program Description:

This CLE will introduce participants to Special Education Law and the hearing process at OATH. The program will begin with a review of the applicable federal and state laws, discuss what special education law looks like in practice, review the legal procedures for eligibility for special education services, and discuss the legally mandated components of a special education program. The program will then review the types of disputes that arise between parents and school districts and the laws regarding dispute resolution, including special education due process hearings at OATH. This program is intended for new practitioners in the field or those seeking a refresher on the key elements of special education law and litigation.

Instructors:

Noel R. Garcia is Deputy Commissioner for the Special Education Hearings Division at OATH, the first person appointed to this position.

Formerly an Administrative Law Judge with OATH’s Trials Division, Deputy Commissioner Garcia has extensive adjudication experience and has heard and decided complex administrative law matters filed by nearly every City agency. Deputy Commissioner Garcia formerly served as an Administrative Law Judge for the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (now the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection), and as a Hearing Officer for OATH. Previously, he was a commercial litigation associate for Thelen, Reid & Priest, an assistant professor of legal studies at New York City College of Technology-CUNY, and an adjunct professor for trial advocacy at Fordham University Law School. He is a graduate of Hunter College and Fordham Law School, has coached mock trial extensively at the college and law school levels.

Daniel M. Hochbaum is a Supervising Impartial Hearing Officer at the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH), New York City’s central administrative tribunal. He formerly served as an agency attorney at the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights where he investigated claims of discrimination based on sex, race, and disability at educational institutions. Before that, he served as the Senior Staff Attorney for Direct Services and Impact Litigation at Advocates for Children of New York, where he represented parents in the special education process (including administrative litigation) and served as class counsel on various class actions regarding the rights of students with disabilities in New York City. Daniel began his career as an Equal Justice Works fellow and Staff Attorney at Equip for Equality in Chicago where he designed a project to provide legal representation to low-income students of color with learning disabilities in the Chicago Public Schools. Daniel is a graduate of McGill University in Montréal and Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Sabrina Styza is an Impartial Hearing Officer at the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH), New York City’s central administrative tribunal. Before that, Sabrina served as associate general counsel for the Newark Board of Education, the biggest school district in New Jersey, where she was lead special education counsel, handling all special education matters. In addition to lead special education counsel, she handled in-house general litigation and advisement, Title IX, New Jersey Harassment Intimidation and Bullying law, McKinney Vento, family law court orders, including domestic violence, board policy, civil service claims, contracts, and procurement. Sabrina regularly presented to school staff and other education attorneys on topics related to special education throughout the state of New Jersey. Before that, she served as a Clinical Law Fellow for Rutgers School of Law-Newark, where she served as a law guardian, Director of the Aging Out Project for youth who were aging out of the child welfare system and represented parents in special education litigation. Sabrina began her career as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Judge Stephen Bernstein who heard a docket of 350 child welfare cases, including abuse and neglect. Sabrina is a graduate of the New School University and Rutgers School of Law-Newark.

CLE Credits:

1.5 Areas of Professional Practice (transitional/non-transitional)