Our Story
It Started With Two Friends, One Family’s Experience, and a Need They Couldn’t Ignore
IEP Defenders began with longtime friends and neighbors Sam Castor and David Gardner recognizing a problem in their own community: families of children with disabilities needed experienced legal help, but too often, the cost and complexity of the system put that help out of reach.
David Gardner, Esq.
Sam Castor, Esq.
TWO FRIENDS
ONE IDEA
For David, the issue was personal.
As a father, he found himself trying to advocate for his own child within the special education system. David was an attorney working with the Department of Education at the time, yet even with his legal background, he found the IEP process intimidating, complicated, and difficult to navigate.
If it was this challenging for an attorney familiar with education and the law, what was it like for a parent facing the process alone?
That question helped inspire IEP Defenders.
Making Legal Help Accessible to Families
Sam and David wanted to create a way for parents to have an experienced legal team in their corner without worrying about how they would pay for it.
With the backing of Lex Tecnica, they were able to build a model that allows IEP Defenders to take qualifying cases on a contingency basis, meaning families can access legal representation without paying attorney fees upfront.
What began as an effort to help families in Clark County quickly grew.
Through relationships with special education advocates, IEP Defenders began connecting with more parents who needed help understanding their rights, navigating IEP disputes, and addressing situations where children were not receiving the services and support they needed.
Since then, IEP Defenders has helped hundreds of families and expanded beyond Nevada into Arizona, California, Utah, and New York.
Our Vision for Families
Our vision is for families to be able to get knowledgeable special education legal help when their child needs it, regardless of their financial circumstances. We are building a model that can make that support available to more families over time.
Every child is different, and every family’s situation is different. Parents should not have to become legal experts to make sure their child receives the education and support they need.
Legal representation can change the dynamic with a school by putting the issues, obligations, and next steps into clear legal terms. Our attorneys help families understand their options and advocate for the services and protections their children may be entitled to.
More Than Special Education Law
Through Lex Tecnica and its other practices, including EverHome Adoptions, Carma Legal, and Immigration Help USA, our attorneys are part of a network designed to help people through some of the most important and challenging moments of their lives.
At the center of it all is the mission that has guided Sam and Lex Tecnica from the beginning: