Claudia I. Pringles

As a Ph.D. with some formal legal training in autism-related education issues, I never imagined I would require the assistance of an attorney to rectify an essentially problem with my child's program. A component was missing that could be easily added; without this component, the child had demonstra...bly regressed, and I had the video to prove it. Yet I met resistance several times across 6 months, as the problem intensified. I discovered that merely slapping down my law books with the pertinent passage was getting me nowhere. And while I did my best to be dispassionate and was never impolite, my stomach was in knots and I was finding myself having to work not to lose my temper. I know there's an old saying, "The lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client." In representing my child, I was much in the same position. I needed someone who, while knowing the law, could remain emotionally detached and professional. A friend had enthusiastically recommended Claudia I. Pringles, Esq. to me. She put me immediately at my ease. She listened respectfully (including during the ranting-and-raving part of my exposition). She interrupted only when, driven by emotion, I was unclear, but otherwise listened patiently. (And this was for our first meeting, for which she did not charge.) Claudia was AMAZING. She accompanied me to a meeting I'd arranged with the essential parties. She was gracious to everyone, and approached the problem not as if we were filming an episode of Law and Order (my style) but as a subtle but skilled negotiator. She acknowledged the school's concerns, and offered as one of several suggestions a means of neutralizing any consequences to them. At the same time, she never backed down as to what my child needed. Her focus was always how, together as a team, we could surmount any hurdle. One meeting - and the problem was solved, with everyone leaving the room feeling good about themselves, my child, my advisor, and me. I know other attorneys in this field who would have been good. But two have a more diffuse focus in this area and others handle other areas of law, as well. I wanted someone who eat, slept, and breathed special education law - and I have yet to hear of anyone I would turn to other than Claudia Pringles.