Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Law Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 88

Full-Text Articles in Law

The Outcomes Of Fully Adjudicated Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: A Nationally Representative Analysis With And Without New York, Perry A. Zirkel, Diane M. Holben Dec 2023

The Outcomes Of Fully Adjudicated Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: A Nationally Representative Analysis With And Without New York, Perry A. Zirkel, Diane M. Holben

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides eligible students with the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) as specified in an individualized education program (IEP). An unusual feature of the IDEA is providing the parents of students with disabilities and their school districts with the right to a binding “impartial due process hearing” at the administrative level, subject to appeal. This mechanism for administrative adjudication has been the subject of continuing policy debate and occasional statutory refinements. One of the ongoing concerns in this policy consideration has been the win-loss rate of due process hearings (DPHs). Similarly, …


Teacher Shortages And The Fundamental Right To Education In California, Chris Yarrell Apr 2023

Teacher Shortages And The Fundamental Right To Education In California, Chris Yarrell

Pepperdine Law Review

That a qualified teacher workforce functions as the most important factor affecting student learning and achievement is beyond dispute. Yet, the right to education—which is a state obligation codified within all fifty 50 state constitutions—has been vindicated largely within the province of school finance litigation. Indeed, for nearly five decades, education litigants have brought school finance disputes in virtually every state, succeeding in more than half of them. Despite the hard-won victories notched by education litigants over this time, however, courts adjudicating school finance disputes have largely failed to move beyond declaring simple proscriptions on facially unequal school funding regimes. …


Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: Updated Legal Issues And Answers, Perry A. Zirkel Feb 2023

Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: Updated Legal Issues And Answers, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This updated question-and-answer document is specific to impartial hearing officers (IHOs) and the hearings that they conduct under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The coverage does not extend to the alternate third-party dispute decisional mechanism under the IDEA, the complaint resolution process (CRP) except to the extent that this alternative mechanism intersects with IHO issues. Similarly, the scope only extends secondarily to the IHO’s remedial authority, which is the subject of separate comprehensive coverage. The sources are largely limited to the pertinent IDEA legislation and regulations, court decisions, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education’s …


Micro-Mediation: A New First Step On The Mixed-Mode Alternative Dispute Resolution Ladder In Higher Education, Joseph C. Alfe May 2022

Micro-Mediation: A New First Step On The Mixed-Mode Alternative Dispute Resolution Ladder In Higher Education, Joseph C. Alfe

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Higher education is fraught with disputes on both a macro and micro level. In a broad sense, institutions of higher education serve as a focal point for many disparate cultures, economic strata, ages, genders, races, ideologies, and other societal influences, and concentrates them within an insular community. Such an amalgamation of humanity is bound to produce conflicts of all kinds. These disputes can range from the elementary to the criminal. Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 governs disputes rising to the level of sexual harassment or discrimination and are updated by periodic agency updates disseminated through “dear colleague” …


May The Executive Branch Forgive Student Loan Debt Without Further Congressional Action?, Colin Mark May 2022

May The Executive Branch Forgive Student Loan Debt Without Further Congressional Action?, Colin Mark

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

On April 1, 2021, the Biden administration announced that Secretary of Education Michael Cardona will consider whether the President has legal authority to forgive up to $50,000 per debtor in student loan debt without further Congressional action. This paper interrogates the leading arguments for and against the Biden administration’s capacity to forgive this student loan debt strictly using administrative action. This article first surveys the history of federal student loan forgiveness programs in the United States. It then considers whether statutes on the books—in particular, the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Federal Claims Collection Act of 1966—grant the …


State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Iv: Expedited Hearings, Andrew M.I. Lee, Perry A. Zirkel Jan 2022

State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Iv: Expedited Hearings, Andrew M.I. Lee, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article is a follow-up to a triad of analyses of state law additions to the basic requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for due process hearings (DPHs). The former three articles covered the pre-hearing, hearing, and post-hearing stages of IDEA DPHs. The present article focuses on expedited DPHs, canvassing state law provisions specific to this more rapid, specialized proceeding in the IDEA. This article covers IDEA foundational requirements for expedited DPHs, and then summarizes and codes the state law provisions that supplement the federal template. Additionally, this article provides a discussion of federal preemption of state …


Taxing The Ivory Tower: Evaluating The Excise Tax On University Endowments, Jennifer Bird-Pollan Sep 2021

Taxing The Ivory Tower: Evaluating The Excise Tax On University Endowments, Jennifer Bird-Pollan

Pepperdine Law Review

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 introduced the first-ever excise tax imposed on the investment income of university endowments. While it is a relatively small tax, this new law is a first step towards the exploration of taxing non-profit entities on the vast sums of wealth they hold in their endowments. In this essay I take the new tax as a starting place for investigating the justification for tax exemption for universities and thinking through the consequences of changing our approach, both in the form of the new excise tax and possible alternatives. There remain reasons to be …


Intent, Inequality, And The Berlin Walls Of The Mind, Bobby L. Dexter Sep 2021

Intent, Inequality, And The Berlin Walls Of The Mind, Bobby L. Dexter

Pepperdine Law Review

Although acknowledging that various provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 appear responsive to normative arguments presented in tax literature, this article posits that, true to its core intent, the law aggressively advanced the persistent effort to shift the tax burden away from the nation’s wealthiest citizens to the great bulk of taxpayers of more modest financial means. Thus, those with political power successfully employed the tax law to protect, preserve, and enhance prevailing wealth and income inequality. With the election of President Joe Biden and the assumption of Democratic control in both chambers of Congress, however, …


It's Alright, Ma, It's Life And Life Only: Have Universities Been Meeting Their Legal Obligations To High-Risk Faculty During The Pandemic?, Gary J. Simson, Mark L. Jones, Cathren K. Page, Suzianne D. Painter-Thorne Aug 2021

It's Alright, Ma, It's Life And Life Only: Have Universities Been Meeting Their Legal Obligations To High-Risk Faculty During The Pandemic?, Gary J. Simson, Mark L. Jones, Cathren K. Page, Suzianne D. Painter-Thorne

Pepperdine Law Review

Even those universities most firmly committed to returning to in-person instruction in fall semester 2020 recognized that for health reasons some exceptions would need to be made. The CDC had identified two groups—people age sixty-five and over and people with certain medical conditions—as persons "at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19," and it had spelled out various special precautions they should take to avoid contracting the virus. Given the CDC's unique stature, universities very reasonably could have been expected to grant exceptions to faculty falling into either group, but that's not what many universities did. We argue that, properly …


The Legal Boundaries For Impartiality Of Idea Hearing Officers: An Update, Perry A. Zirkel Apr 2021

The Legal Boundaries For Impartiality Of Idea Hearing Officers: An Update, Perry A. Zirkel

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Special education has become a significant area of litigation in the K-12 school context. The impartial hearing officer (“IHO”) is the fulcrum of the adjudicative process under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (“IDEA”). However, the IDEA only provides for two standards for impartiality while the framework of remaining standards are left—via the IDEA’s structure of “cooperative federalism”—to state laws. Ultimately, the courts serve as the chief cartographer for the legal boundaries of IDEA IHO impartiality in their interpretation, gap-filling, and application of the federal and state framework. The previous research relating at least in part to IDEA IHO impartiality is …


State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Iii: The Pre-Hearing Stage, Andrew M.I. Lee, Perry A. Zirkel Mar 2021

State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Iii: The Pre-Hearing Stage, Andrew M.I. Lee, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article is the third in a triad of analyses of state law additions to the basic requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for due process hearings (DPHs). The first two articles of this series covered the hearing and post-hearing stages of IDEA DPHs. The purpose of this follow-up analysis is to supplement the earlier articles by canvassing state law provisions specific to the pre-hearing stage. After an introduction and overview of the literature, this article covers IDEA foundational requirements for DPHs, and then summarizes and codes the state law provisions that supplement the federal template. As …


No Safe Spaces: A Distorted Image Of A Clear Problem, Michael Conklin Jul 2020

No Safe Spaces: A Distorted Image Of A Clear Problem, Michael Conklin

Pepperdine Law Review

This is a critical analysis of the documentary No Safe Spaces. The movie features comedian Adam Carolla and conservative talk show host Dennis Prager. Depending on the source, the movie is either the most necessary and prescient documentary ever or the most harmful. Unfortunately, the polarizing nature of the reviews largely fall along partisan political lines, with conservatives praising the movie and liberals criticizing it. This partisan result could have likely been minimized if the movie communicated a more bipartisan tone. To further complicate things, the movie does not provide a clear thesis of what it is trying to promote. …


State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Ii: The Post-Hearing Stage, Perry A. Zirkel May 2020

State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Ii: The Post-Hearing Stage, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

A recent issue of this journal contained an article that canvassed state laws that added to the basic requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for due process hearings (DPHs). The purpose of this follow-up analysis is to supplement the earlier article by canvassing state law provisions specific to the post-hearing stage of IDEA DPHs. The length is relatively brief because (1) the springboard article on the hearing stage provided the detailed foundation, (2) the scope of the post-hearing stage is much more limited, and (3) the previous literature has largely unexplored this stage. Otherwise in accordance with …


Mediation In Education For Foster Care, Anelise Powers Apr 2020

Mediation In Education For Foster Care, Anelise Powers

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

There are well over 400,000 children in foster care. Education can improve the well-being of foster children in critical development stages of life and support their economic success in adulthood. In recent years, the law has given greater priority to the education of foster children, and foster children are often eligible for additional services. However, a common trend in foster care research is that foster children, though eligible, do not always receive the services created to assist them. This paper will explore how improving mediation related to education and foster care can help maximize the impact of efforts to improve …


Stop Punishing Our Kids: How Title Vii Can Protect Children Of Color In Public School’S Discipline Practices, Lizette Rodriguez Mar 2020

Stop Punishing Our Kids: How Title Vii Can Protect Children Of Color In Public School’S Discipline Practices, Lizette Rodriguez

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

Section I of this comment considers the evolution of education in the United States and how American society dealt with racial discrimination in public schools in the past, and how those facts and decisions differ from the issues that students of color are facing today. Section II explains the Equal Protection Clause (EPC) and analyzes the seminal cases that demonstrate the power of the EPC and when it is appropriate to use it. Section III introduces Title VII and walks through violations of disparate impact discrimination and disparate treatment discrimination. Section IV explains what the Department of Education’s Civil Rights …


Safeguarding Procedures Under The Idea: Restoring The Balance In The Adjudication Of Fape, Perry A. Zirkel Mar 2020

Safeguarding Procedures Under The Idea: Restoring The Balance In The Adjudication Of Fape, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

The article’s purpose is to stimulate IDEA adjudicators, starting with the specialized and significant level of impartial hearing officers, and to restore the enforceable meaning of the procedural requirements of the IDEA. Doing so will provide a more coherent balance with not only the substantive dimension, but also the other decisional dispute resolution mechanisms of the Act. Part I provides an overview of the procedural structure of the IDEA and the Supreme Court’s framework interpretation. Part II traces the subsequent interpretation of the procedural dimension of FAPE, culminating in the codification of the two-part test in the latest IDEA amendments. …


When Is Due Process Due?: The Impact Of Title Ix Sexual Assault Adjudication On The Rights Of University Students, Rachael A. Goldman Jan 2020

When Is Due Process Due?: The Impact Of Title Ix Sexual Assault Adjudication On The Rights Of University Students, Rachael A. Goldman

Pepperdine Law Review

As a part of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Title IX was created to address sex discrimination in sports programs receiving federal funding. However, its scope has ballooned tremendously over the years to include a variety of conduct occurring on college campuses. Currently, Title IX is the primary legislation governing sexual assault and harassment allegations stemming from universities. This Note explores the use of Title IX in universities and addresses the concerns that arise when a civil rights law becomes the primary mechanism for adjudicating allegations of criminal conduct. Specifically, this Note addresses the due process concerns that arise when …


Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: Legal Issues And Answers, Perry A. Zirkel Jun 2019

Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: Legal Issues And Answers, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

No abstract provided.


State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Perry A. Zirkel Sep 2018

State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

No abstract provided.


How Higher Education Ombudsman Systems Can Benefit By Implementing Modified Restorative Justice Practices, Kyle Shiroma Apr 2018

How Higher Education Ombudsman Systems Can Benefit By Implementing Modified Restorative Justice Practices, Kyle Shiroma

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article will explore both the concerns and the beneficial effects of implementing ombudsman systems in higher education. After a brief background and history of the ombuds office, Section C will explain the significance of why universities should implement ombuds systems. Section D will discuss some of the benefits of the proposed solution, Section E will address some of the concerns raised about this solution, and Section F will explain how ombuds offices can benefit by incorporating restorative justice ideas in its practices. Section G will summarize and conclude this proposal.


A Diverse Student Body Without Student Bodies?: Online Classrooms And Affirmative Action, Ryan H. Nelson Jul 2017

A Diverse Student Body Without Student Bodies?: Online Classrooms And Affirmative Action, Ryan H. Nelson

Pepperdine Law Review

America’s public universities engage students in myriad classroom environments that range from traditional, entirely-in-person classroom environments to entirely-online, virtual classrooms, with every shade of grey in between. These varied learning environments pose a fascinating question with respect to the ways such universities use affirmative action in admissions. In Grutter v. Bollinger, the United States Supreme Court held that “student body diversity is a compelling state interest that can justify the use of race in university admissions.” Indeed, student body diversity remains one of the few “compelling interests” that the Court has held satisfies the constitutional imperative that the “government may …


The Rowley Enigma: How Much Weight Is Due To Idea State Administrative Proceedings In Federal Court?, Daniel W. Morton-Bentley Apr 2017

The Rowley Enigma: How Much Weight Is Due To Idea State Administrative Proceedings In Federal Court?, Daniel W. Morton-Bentley

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

In this article, I argue that the phrase "due weight" incorporates a deferential review standard equivalent to the clear error or substantial evidence standard, a conclusion reached by a minority of the circuit courts of appeal. I further argue that, consistent with Rowley, federal courts must afford due weight to administrative officers' substantive or educational conclusions, but no weight to their procedural or non-educational conclusions. Part II offers a general outline of the IDEA, giving special attention to its judicial review provisions. In Part III, I provide a general discussion of judicial review of administrative adjudication. Part IV is devoted …


The Third Dimension Of Fape Under The Idea: Iep Implementation, Perry A. Zirkel, Edward T. Bauer Apr 2017

The Third Dimension Of Fape Under The Idea: Iep Implementation, Perry A. Zirkel, Edward T. Bauer

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article provides a synthesis of the three approaches to IEP implementation cases. More specifically, Part I summarizes the materiality/benefit approach, which-like the two-step approach for procedural violations but on a more intertwined basis-requires both a substantial non-implementation and an insufficient benefit. Part II summarizes the materiality-alone approach, which requires only a substantial failure. Part III summarizes the per se approach, which results in a denial of FAPE for any failure to implement beyond one that is clearly de minimis. Finally, Part IV provides conclusions and recommendations for IHOs in light of the incomplete precedential pattern to date. The overall …


The Impact Of Marijuana Legalization On Youth & The Need For State Legislation On Marijuana-Specific Instruction In K–12 Schools, Amanda Harmon Cooley Jan 2017

The Impact Of Marijuana Legalization On Youth & The Need For State Legislation On Marijuana-Specific Instruction In K–12 Schools, Amanda Harmon Cooley

Pepperdine Law Review

State legalization of marijuana is a divisive and polarizing issue that has resulted in fragmentation between governments and citizens. Contrary to federal law, voters in many states have approved ballot initiatives legalizing the sale of marijuana to adults for their recreational use. This Article argues that any state that legalizes marijuana has a concomitant duty to amend its K–12 public school instructional statutes to provide for substantial marijuana education. No state has yet enacted such legislation even though current alternative educational methods fail to provide sufficient safeguards. Accordingly, this Article proposes new statutory remedies that could bridge the gap between …


Of Mouseholes And Elephants: The Statute Oflimitations For Impartial Hearings Under Theindividuals With Disabilities Education Act, Perry A. Zirkel Apr 2016

Of Mouseholes And Elephants: The Statute Oflimitations For Impartial Hearings Under Theindividuals With Disabilities Education Act, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

The purpose of this article, in light of the practical significance and the limited literature addressing the IDEA’s hearing level SOL, is to provide a current and concise overview of the case law addressing this specific issue. Part I provides the basic nature and purpose of SOL generally, and specifically how SOL applies to the IDEA’s impartial hearings. Parts II–IV addresses the elements of the SOL statutory provisions in terms of the triggering date, the exceptions, and the duration and effect of the SOL, including the importance of G.L. v. Ligonier Valley School District Authority. Part V provides practice pointers …


Has The Supreme Court’S Schaffer Decision Placed Aburden On Hearing Officer Decision-Making Under Theidea?, Cathy A. Skidmore, Perry A. Zirkel Apr 2016

Has The Supreme Court’S Schaffer Decision Placed Aburden On Hearing Officer Decision-Making Under Theidea?, Cathy A. Skidmore, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article provides a systematic examination of the BOP in hearing officer decisions both before and after Schaffer. Part II examines the legal basis for the BOP both before and after the U.S. Supreme Court decision, resulting in the questions for this study. Part III explains the method used to collect and analyze the data, and Part IV presents the results that answer the specific research questions. Part V discusses those results and the implications of the findings for special education dispute resolution and provides recommendations for further study.


The End Of An Era: The Mounting Challenges To The Ncaa’S Model Of Amateurism, John Niemeyer Jul 2015

The End Of An Era: The Mounting Challenges To The Ncaa’S Model Of Amateurism, John Niemeyer

Pepperdine Law Review

In the six years between 2006 and 2012, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a nonprofit organization made up of universities, doubled its net assets to its current, unprecedented level of over $566 million. In 2012 alone, the organization retained a $71 million surplus after it disbursed a majority of its revenue to the NCAA member universities. It was able to make this much money largely because of the television revenue earned from the highly popular and entertaining sports of men’s football and men’s basketball. One would think that if a nonprofit organization could retain $71 million at the end …


An Idea For Special Education: Why The Idea Should Have Primacy Over The Ada In Adjudicating Education Claims For Students With Disabilities, Angela Estrella-Lemus May 2015

An Idea For Special Education: Why The Idea Should Have Primacy Over The Ada In Adjudicating Education Claims For Students With Disabilities, Angela Estrella-Lemus

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

No abstract provided.


California Year In Review: 2013 Special Education Alj Decisions, Ruth Colker Jun 2014

California Year In Review: 2013 Special Education Alj Decisions, Ruth Colker

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article reviews 74 special education cases decided by California ALJs between January 1, 2013 and December 11, 2013. The author concludes that the ALJs provided stingy relief even when students prevailed, there was often unsuccessful litigation on behalf of a student following the termination of a consent decree or court order, many of the cases reflected negative attitudes towards the mothers of the student, and school districts often preferred more restrictive placements than the parent/student. Not surprisingly, students faced very unfavorable outcomes when they were not represented by a lawyer.


Today's Children, Tomorrow's Protectors: Purpose And Process For Peer Mediation In K-12 Education, Raija Churchill Feb 2014

Today's Children, Tomorrow's Protectors: Purpose And Process For Peer Mediation In K-12 Education, Raija Churchill

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The article offers information on the evolution, development, and role for peer mediation programs (PMPs) in K-12 education (kindergarden-12th class education), which acts as a dispute resolution tool that provides training to students assisting in mediation of conflicts in their schools in the U.S. It examines the effectiveness of the PMPs' for training students related to achievement of educators' goal to derive safety in the U.S. schools.