Lakewood School Funding Case and What It Means for New Jersey Families
The recent decision of the Appellate Division in Alcantara v. Allen-McMillan (Docket No. A-2493-23), approved for publication on September 8, 2025, underscores a difficult truth about public education in New Jersey. While the court affirmed that the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 (SFRA) is constitutional as applied to the Lakewood School District, it also […]
Navigating Complex Student Codes: Legal Advocacy for Campus Proceedings
The Hidden Curriculum in New Jersey Campus Discipline In July 2025, Inside Higher Ed published an article on the so-called “hidden curriculum” of student conduct proceedings. The piece revealed what attorneys working with students in New Jersey already know: most undergraduates and graduate students facing disciplinary charges arrive at their hearings unprepared, uninformed, and entirely […]
When Universities Can Still Discipline Students Many families are shocked to discover that a university can punish students for conduct that takes place miles away from campus. A fight at a bar, an arrest at a music festival, or allegations from a private party can all trigger a university investigation, even if the student is […]
Title IX Complaints Near Graduation: Why Due Process Must Extend Beyond Sexual Misconduct Cases
Facing a Title IX complaint before graduation? Learn how delayed investigations can impact your degree, job prospects, and grad school—plus how to protect your rights. Student Rights Defense today.
Uncounted, Unenrolled, Unprotected: Legal Help for NJ Families Left Out of School
Public education in New Jersey is in crisis—but not in the way headlines suggest. Behind every statistic about learning loss or absenteeism is a legal failure: students not being found, supported, or reengaged by the very systems designed to serve them. In this guide, we explain how national and local data point to unlawful education […]
Unfair School Discipline in New Jersey? Know Your Legal Rights
A groundbreaking analysis published in The Conversation by Markowitz et al. in 2023 reviewed over 3.5 million teacher-written disciplinary comments and found conclusive patterns of racial and gender bias in how educators describe student behavior. Black students, especially boys, were far more likely to be described using emotionally charged and negative language than their White […]
Supreme Court Lowers Legal Hurdles for Students with Disabilities: What A.J.T. v. Osseo Means for Families and Schools
On June 12, 2025, the United States Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools, affirming that students with disabilities denied a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) may seek compensatory damages under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities […]