September 2025 and the new school year feel distant while caught in the chill of early spring, but it’s never too early to get a jump on obtaining the resources your child needs to succeed. Even if your child does well academically, education is a broad concept and includes social, emotional and other skills as well. Understanding the significance of and process for obtaining IEPs and 504s can be critical to your child’s ability to access his or her education. In this Tourette Talk you will learn about the process for obtaining an IEP or a 504 Plan, your rights and a school district’s obligations, and how to navigate if a school is not responsive to your requests for special education and related services and 504s, with the help of a special education attorney. Don’t miss out on this chance to add more advocacy tools to your repertoire!
Joan Thomas believes that being an attorney is not only a job; it’s also a vocation. She is passionate about using her extensive advocacy experience to help her clients navigate the complex legal system. She also brings to bear her experience with issues faced by special needs families.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Jersey for almost 14 years, Ms. Thomas represented the United States in federal court in Newark, Trenton, and Camden in a wide variety of matters. She has appeared in federal court hundreds of times and has been recognized for her work by the Department of Justice and by many federal agencies.
Ms. Thomas received her Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School and her undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Iona College. She also holds an M.A. and M.Phil. in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University, where she has taught freshman courses in composition and literature. She is admitted to the New Jersey Bar and to the Bar of the U.S. District Court in New Jersey.
Ms. Thomas has been named one of New Jersey Family magazine’s “Best Lawyers for Families” for 2024.
She is the author of “How Was School Today,” in the October 2024 New Jersey Lawyer magazine. This article discusses whether in certain circumstances it is legal to secretly place a recorder in your child’s belongings when he or she is at school.