Overview

Josh Walden is Senior Counsel in Lozano Smith's San Diego Office. Mr. Walden primarily represents education clients in a variety of special education, student, labor and employment, and governance matters.

Experience

Mr. Walden regularly represents local educational agencies in all aspects of administrative due process proceedings, including resolution sessions, mediations, and due process hearings, and federal appellate proceedings. He also represents local educational agencies in IEP and 504 meetings. Mr. Walden prepares pleadings regarding a variety of complex substantive and procedural due process matters. Mr. Walden also assists local educational agencies with a variety of labor and employment matters, including labor disputes, employee discipline and investigations, discrimination complaints, and other personnel matters.

In addition to his work as an attorney, Mr. Walden has served in a variety of related roles, including as an instructional aide in a general education and special education classroom at a K-8 school through City Year Sacramento, and as a law clerk for the San Diego Unified School District's Office of the General Counsel.

Presenter Experience

Mr. Walden frequently presents on numerous special education and student matters, including legally appropriate assessment reports, legally defensible IEPs, and legal obligations in serving transgender students.

Court Admissions

Mr. Walden is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Education

Mr. Walden received his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a double minor in Spanish and Professional Writing. While in law school, Mr. Walden served as the Comments Editor for the San Diego International Law Journal and the Treasurer and Secretary for the University of San Diego School of Law's Advocates for Children and Education.

What is an Elementary School? California Department of Education Revises its Guidance on Equitable Services and Proportionate Share for Parentally-Placed Private School Preschoolers

By: Sarah Garcia, Josh Walden- 08/19/2024

Communication is Everything: Ninth Circuit Declines to Award Private School Tuition to Parents who Failed to Respond to School District’s Offer to Hold IEP Meeting

By: Roxana Khan, Josh Walden- 05/29/2024

Ninth Circuit Holds Four-Month Delay in Autism Assessment Plan was not a Violation of IDEA

By: Jennifer Baldassari, Josh Walden- 03/07/2023

Ninth Circuit Requires Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies in Sprawling Distance Learning Lawsuit

By: Kyle Raney, Josh Walden- 10/28/2022

Ninth Circuit Backs Fellowship of Christian Athletes Over Non-Discrimination Policy

By: Manuel Martinez, Josh Walden- 09/21/2022

E81 Goal Writing in Special Education: Latest Trends and Guidance

By: Alyssa Bivins, Josh Walden- 10/17/2024

In this episode of our podcast, host Sloan Simmons engages with Lozano Smith's special education experts Aly Bivins and Josh Walden. They discuss the recent trends and guidance in the arena of goal writing for special education students. Aly and Josh provide insights on recent OAH decisions on point, and lessons learned from those due process outcomes.