PRACTICE AREAS

School & Education
Disability Law Special Education

EDUCATION

Virginia Tech, Ph.D., 1999

University of Maine, M.Ed, 1987

University of Maine, B.A., 1973


MEMBERSHIPS

Council for Exceptional Children
Member


COMMUNITY/PUBLIC SERVICE

Advisory Committee of the Consortium for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Education (CADRE)
  Member

Council for Exceptional Children, Annual Conference
  Reviewer

Michael Opuda is a non-attorney Senior Special Education Consultant in the firm's Public Sector Group. As a certified special education consultant, Michael provides Drummond Woodsum's school clients with consultation and support on special education issues, including facilitation of IEP team meetings, compliance questions, troubleshooting complicated cases, in-service training, IEP development, dispute resolution, program review and evaluation and advice on addressing the needs of students with challenging behaviors in school.

Bringing a wealth of experience to the firm's clients, Michael has held positions as a special education consultant to the U.S. Department of Education and the State Departments of Education in New England; Due Process Coordinator and consultant for exceptional students with the Maine Department of Education; as a teacher and administrator at the Regional Learning Center in Bangor, Maine; and program director of the Maine Disability Rights Center.

NEWS


• Introducing Drummond Woodsum's Newest Shareholders and Senior Consultant
  December 12, 2017

ARTICLES


Risky Business: The Risks of Risk Assessment
Spring 2013

PRESENTATIONS


• Annual Special Education Summit
  December 1, 2017
• Making the Grade in Special Education: Measuring Success, Eligibility, and the Delivery of FAPE in a Standards World
  December 2, 2016
• Maine Special Education Law Institute
  July 12-15, 2016
• The Worst in Special Education! – presented in partnership with MADSEC
  December 4, 2015