Meet the Team
With a collective thirty-eight (38) years of experience working for and representing school districts in the area of special education law, the employees of the Kline Law Firm, LLC, know that a school district’s understanding of FAPE and its “basic floor of opportunity” may not be what your child deserves. The employees of our Firm also, based upon attendance at thousands of IEP team meetings, know that school districts are willing to provide more services than the law requires if there is strong advocacy on your behalf at special education meetings. Our knowledge of the law, review of your child’s records, interviews with you, former representation and employment with school districts, and thousands of hours of experience in the development of educational programs will provide your family with an inside perspective regarding how to obtain the additional services that your child deserves that are far beyond your school district’s understanding of FAPE.
Aric M. Kline, Esq./Law Firm General Counsel
After representing multiple area school districts in the metro Atlanta area for thirteen years, Mr. Kline has years of experience advocating for students from the public school perspective. Mr. Kline now utilizes this experience in special education law to exclusively advocate on behalf of students with special needs and their families.
- Throughout his career, Mr. Kline represented two of the largest school districts in Georgia as lead special education counsel, with expertise in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Mr. Kline has expertise regarding what constitutes a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE) for children with special needs.
- Mr. Kline has litigated multiple due process hearings before the Office of State Administrative Hearings (OSAH).
- Mr. Kline has litigated several special education cases on appeal before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Mr. Kline has expertise in special education negotiations that occur outside of the IEP team and Section 504 team meeting process.
- Mr. Kline has attended hundreds of special education mediations and Early Resolution sessions.
- Mr. Kline has attended hundreds of IEP team meetings on behalf of school districts, giving him an insider’s perspective regarding school district decision-making practices.
- Mr. Kline has attended hundreds of Section 504 team meetings.
- Mr. Kline has attended dozens of Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs) and has expertise regarding the standards associated with IDEA and Section 504 regarding student discipline.
- Mr. Kline has presented at conferences and participated in multiple conferences as a special education attorney on behalf of school districts.
Dr. Elizabeth Morris Turnage/Special Education Consultant/Advocate
Dr. Turnage is a retired public school special education administrator with decades of expertise. She offers specific expertise regarding services available to your child through public school districts and private schools.
- Dr. Turnage served the second largest county school district in Georgia’s special education department as the Director of Legal and Policy Issues.
- Dr. Turnage has twenty-six years of experience in the area of special education, beginning in the classroom and ending in her retirement as a senior administrator in the area of special education, with specific expertise in IDEA and Section 504 compliance.
- Throughout her career as a public school special education teacher and special education administrator, Dr. Turnage managed hundreds of special education teachers and provided strategic advice regarding compliance with IDEA and Section 504.
- Dr. Turnage personally served as a case file manager for over 100 students.
- During her career, Dr. Turnage managed hundreds of special education teachers and other administrators regarding the provision of appropriate special education services to special needs children.
- Dr. Turnage has participated in over a thousand IEP team meetings as a teacher and as a county school district administrator and is an expert in problem solving at IEP team meetings.
- Dr. Turnage has participated in over a hundred Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs).
- Dr. Turnage is an expert in file review regarding IEPs, school district generated progress reports, educational data, work samples, private school education records, as well as public school evaluations and privately obtained evaluations.