Live webinar presented by Heather Cox
Aug 6, 2026, 12:30pm
90 min of CLE credit anticipated
School records often contain valuable information that can help explain a client’s behavior, development, educational needs, and life circumstances—but only if attorneys know where to look. As part of our neurodiversity webinar series, this program will provide criminal defense attorneys with practical guidance on obtaining and reviewing school records to uncover mitigating evidence that may be relevant to plea negotiations, sentencing, and dispositional advocacy.
Participants will learn how to identify key documents within school files, including special education records, disciplinary records, attendance records, psychological evaluations, and other educational materials. The program will explore common indicators of learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental conditions, trauma, mental health concerns, family instability, and other factors that may have affected a client’s educational experience and life trajectory. Participants will leave with a framework for efficiently reviewing school records and recognizing information that can support more effective and persuasive mitigation advocacy.
Registration:
This program is part of the 2026 IDS Forensic Science Education Series. The webinars will be presented monthly and are free to attend. Use this link to register for all webinars in the series and attend any that are of interest.
Presenter:
Heather Cox has devoted her career to supporting students with disabilities, with a special passion for those with significant needs. She earned her undergraduate degree in Special Education from High Point University and her master’s in School Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Over the past 20 years, Heather has served in many roles—from classroom teacher to Director of Exceptional Children—and now leads as the Section Chief of Integrated Monitoring at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.