Jennifer Baldassari
Partner | Walnut Creek
jbaldassari@lozanosmith.com
Tel: 925.953.1620
Fax: 925.953.1625
Vcard |
Bio
Overview
Jennifer Baldassari is a Partner in Lozano Smith’s Walnut Creek office and co-chair of the firm’s Special Education Practice Group. She represents public school districts, county offices of education, and special education local plan areas throughout California, with a practice focused on student issues and special education. Ms. Baldassari advises clients on complex compliance matters and works closely with district leadership to proactively identify and address systemic issues, with the goal of avoiding costly disputes and strengthening legally sound educational practices.Experience
Ms. Baldassari represents school districts in civil rights litigation before California administrative courts involving the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. She regularly counsels and represents clients in IEP meetings, resolution sessions, mediations, due process hearings, and Office for Civil Rights investigations, providing strategic guidance on both individual student matters and broader programmatic concerns.Presentations
Ms. Baldassari is a frequent speaker for statewide and regional professional organizations, including the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO). She regularly presents on topics such as ERMHS assessments, inclusion of students with disabilities, mental health, and school avoidance, and is a recurring presenter for Lozano Smith’s Special Education Legal Consortium.Additional Experience
Ms. Baldassari has taught school law and public policy at Mills College in Oakland and served for two years on the Office of Administrative Hearings’ Advisory Committee. Her background also includes hands-on classroom experience as a teacher’s aide and work as a summer associate with the California Department of Education’s Legal Office while attending law school.Education
Ms. Baldassari earned her Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where she received Pro Bono Honors. During law school, she served as a Graduate Student Assistant, Judicial Extern, and Certified Legal Intern, gaining experience in education law, special education, and civil litigation. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Managerial Economics and Statistics from the University of California, Davis, and received Honors Internship recognition in Education.No Special Hurdles U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Higher Burden for Students in Disability Discrimination Claims
All Homework and No Play Makes Students Have a Bad Day – California Seeks to Ease Homework Related Stress
Recent Bills Focus on Preventing Opioid Overdoses
Ninth Circuit Contemplates Whether an ADA Claim Arising from Alleged Denial of FAPE Requires Exhaustion of Administrative Process
Ninth Circuit Holds Four-Month Delay in Autism Assessment Plan was not a Violation of IDEA
New Law Authorizes School Staff to Administer Emergency Anti-Seizure Medication
New Pathway to Diploma and Other AB 181 Impacts on Special Education
Emotional Distress Damages Unavailable in Section 504 Actions
ADA Claim Arising from Alleged Denial of FAPE Requires Exhaustion of Administrative Process
Seek and Serve: California Expands Outreach for Homeless Youth
Episode 66 Addressing Inclusion Confusion following COVID
Join Lozano Smith attorneys Joshua Whiteside, Jennifer Baldassari, and Haley Fagan in a discussion about special education inclusion following a return to in-person schooling post COVID. In this episode they discuss inclusive environments, recent case law, and next steps for the future in this podcast that delves into inclusion and travels through past and present frameworks to better understand inclusion.Suicide Awareness and Prevention - From ACSA's ECC Symposium to the COVID-19 Crisis
While on location at the Association of California School Administrators' (ACSA) 2020 Annual Every Child Counts Symposium (ECC), host Sloan Simmons talked with Lozano Smith attorney and ECC presenter Jennifer Baldassari, and Nathan Moreno, Director of Special Education at Soledad Unified School District (as of July 1, 2020, Director of Special Education at Guadalupe Union School District), regarding student suicide risk assessments, child find, case law, and suicide prevention.This timely discussion highlights recent legislative changes in the area of suicide prevention, and includes ideas on resources and best practices to consider when addressing the topic of suicide prevention in California school districts. Bonus material recorded during school campus closures provides additional resources for helping students during the present crisis.