Woodsmall Law Group

Roger Rocha

Cant thank Mark and his team enough for all they have done for both my sons! Its been a 15 year relationship. Both sons have required representation and advocacy to make sure they received the education they are entitled to. Both my sons are in a much better position to succeed thanks to Mark and team, . The firm absolutely knows the law and how to navigate the often cumbersome process of dealing with school districts, the courts, and service providers. 1000% recommended by us. So lucky we found him...

Denise Dollard

I discovered Woodsmall Law Group by attending a free workshop facilitated by Mark Woodsmall. He was sharing and educating parents on the IEP process. I had been struggling with our school district's special education department for many years. My son was categorized as emotionally disturbed and required placement in a "special education" setting. Over the course of 6 years I worked diligently to get the school district to understand that the programs offered were not meeting his needs and that the cookie cutter approach was not going to be successful in helping him meet his potential. It was actually preventing it. My frustration and my son's deteriorating behavior led me to seek legal counsel. I reached out to Mark Woodsmall and after hearing my long story and reviewing my documentation he determined that the school district failed to meet their legal responsibilities for my son’s education. I pursued legal action for this to assist placing him in residential treatment located out of state. The reason I am writing this review is because I truly believe that Woodsmall Law Group is very different from other law firms. Mark has great experience in dealing with school districts and extensive expertise in education law. But most importantly Mark runs his firm based on his personal values of integrity, honesty, fairness, and doing what is best for the families and most importantly their children. His team mirrors those same values. If the school district would have had a fraction of the concern for my son’s well-being that Mark and his team demonstrated, legal action may not have been necessary. I find this approach to be exemplary and certainly what distinguishes Woodsmall Law Group. My son is now in residential treatment and on the honor roll. His behavior has greatly improved and we are anticipating his return by year end. This most likely would not have happened without the help provided by Woodsmall Law Group.

Robert Mamos

Mark and his staff are amazing! Legal matters are stressful. Family matters are stressful. Combine the two and it is a wonder they are able to handle things with such grace and professionalism. Our son Nicholas was falling behind in school and my wife and I could not figure out why. When we went to the teachers and principal of his school for some answers, we were given a lot of empty promises and wishful thinking (translation: bureaucratic delays). Mark identified the quickest route between our worries and a true solution and he fought with the school on our behalf. Empty promises get you nowhere and mark made sure they set goals that could be measured and met. It took some time, but the end result is that our son is no longer the exhausted, beaten down, and helpless student that he once was. In addition, we are no longer the exhausted, beaten down, and helpless parents that were unable to guide him out of his dilemma. It turned out that our son had a learning disability that required early intervention from the school and that no matter how much effort we were putting in as parents, it was not enough to correct the course he was on. Because Mark worked with school administrators and staff to implement a plan of action, our son is now an honor society student who has the confidence and strength to succeed in school on his own. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for saving our child and giving his life a new direction. We hope this review gives others an idea of how valuable Mark and his staff are to families facing similar challenges.

TrishaBnOT

My son has been represented by Woodsmall Law Group on multiple occasions over the last 6 years, from helping us deal with the ever so confusing IEP process, to providing information on setting up a Special Needs Trust for my son’s future. I have always been extremely satisfied with their services every time. Mark Woodsmall, and the associates who have worked with us, have all been excellent! Always very professional, yet personable, informative, and highly knowledgeable about special education law, and so much more. Mark has helped us with past IEPs, and has represented my son on (2) separate occasions, in which, a Due Process was filed, but did not end up going to court, because Mark was able to successfully settle on an Agreement with the Pasadena Unified School District, that resulted in my son finally getting the support he needed to, at the least, have a chance to succeed. What is really unique about Mark, is the vast knowledge he possesses, that exceeds beyond just Special Education Law. Mark has a deeper understanding of WHAT constitutes an “individualized “ education plan...and how the goals, objectives, and “other related services” CAN, and SHOULD, be supporting that plan... As a pediatric OT AND mother, I was most impressed with Mark’s ability to carefully break down, synthesize, and make sense of my son’s IEP, from the lens of an occupational therapist, speech therapist, educator, and parent, who also fought for his child’s needs too. With that, he knew exactly what was needed for my son in regards to academics, to social/emotional growth, and so much more. We are truly grateful, and so appreciate what Mark, his team of attorneys (esp. Nelson and Justin), and staff have done for my son...We have always felt very supported and understood, even in the most difficult of times for my son and family, which will ALWAYS be remembered...The commitment to their clients, and passion for what they do, has surely made us clients for life!