These testimonials or endorsements do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of a legal matter.

Intra District Transfer Denial Reversed

I decided to contact Michelle for advice after reading her blog about inter district transfers. I was looking for information because the district my daughter is enrolled in had just changed it's policy on such transfers and notified me by email. I decided to hire her after a half hour consultation. She knew exactly what to do to ensure that my daughter did not lose her position in the district. Michelle knew the law, and recognized the district had made a mistake in their interpretation of California law as it pertained to my daughter's transfer. She was able to fix the problem with just a few emails to the district office. I am so glad I found her. My daughter was heartbroken that she may not be able to continue in her school. Now she is happy and can focus on her schoolwork. Thank you Michelle!

Signed,

S.C.




College Student Reinstated And Achieves Firefighter Certificates

Michelle's counsel successfully reversed an expulsion and regained the earned certificates and delivery of the Firefighter 1 qualification for our daughter from a community college. This certificate made possible our daughter's employment with Cal Fire. Michelle was efficient and deliberate with the necessary evidence to make our claim undisputed, avoiding a lawsuit. All our attorney and professional fees were recovered! Michelle prepared a compelling and successful work product. Michelle's care and professional expertise resulted in our daughter's many years of employment with Cal Fire. We are forever grateful for her due diligence in making a wrong, right and thus opening many opportunities. We offer our heartfelt endorsement and positive experience as testimony to Michelle's expert legal counsel and efficacy.

Sincerely,

J.S. and K.V.




Medical marijuana expulsion dropped

When my son, who has a disability, was suspended from school for bringing a small amount of medical marijuana onto his high school campus, the vice principal threatened to expel him from our district. It was his third suspension, more than halfway through his senior year. Our special ed attorney said we should just wait and see. Fortunately I Googled, "expulsion attorney" and found Michelle Ball!

We live near L.A. and Michelle is in Sacramento California, but she offered to clear her schedule for the hearing that was a couple of days away, and participate by phone. I am so glad she did. Michelle fired off a letter to the district, read through a mountain of special ed records, and asked me to get a letter from my son's psychologist explaining how my son's disability related to his behavior. We attended the hearing well prepared. The district backed down and admitted that my son's behavior had been a manifestation of his disability, and that they had not provided the free, appropriate, public education that my son was entitled to by law.

Instead of being expelled, my son was transferred to a private school, where he was allowed to quickly complete the requirements for graduation. Michelle worked with us over the course of three months, as my son got into more trouble and we had to schedule more IEP meetings.

Michelle was always positive, professional, and quick to respond. In our first conversation, she explained to me the ins and outs of the laws regarding expulsion, and how those laws relate to kids with special needs. What a relief, after dealing with other attorneys! My son now has his high school diploma and we couldn't be happier!

Signed,

K.G.



Loophole in expulsion case

I met Michelle Ball regarding the pending expulsion of my stepson, from his middle school, and can't THANK her enough for all of her advice! I followed her recommendations and the school district agreed because of the loophole that Michelle informed me of, giving us an "out", due to inadequate assessments.

They are now not pursuing the expulsion any more and he was able to start back at school the next day!! Her advice was invaluable and I am beyond greatful!! I will hopefully never need her services again, but it's great to know that if I ever do, I know exactly where to go!!!

Thank you so very much!!

M.Z.



I hired Michelle to fight a wrongful expulsion for my daughter. She knows the education codes like the back of her hand, so nothing got passed her. It's like she has a third eye. She kept us informed every step of the way. She'll fight until everyone is satisfied. After it was over we were sad to see her go.

Sincerely,

D.R.



Without Michelle, we were not able to get this perfect result...

I found Michelle by google search. I visited her website, read the fees information and her articles of professional advice on educational legal matters. I was very encouraged. So I called to make our first consultation appointment. She was very efficient in our meeting. She gave us an honest analysis on our case. We hired her without hesitation. She was very responsive and stayed on top of everything. After reading the pre-meeting materials, she gave us advice and strategies. The material was devastating. Michelle told us upfront that it could very likely lead to expulsion. But Michelle managed to negotiate for us to get result of no suspension and no expulsion. We are very happy about this result. Without Michelle, we were not able to get this perfect result. Thank you so much Michelle!!!

SC




My daughter gets the support for which she is legally entitled...

Ms. Ball handled an educational matter for my dyslexic daughter.  The school terminated my daughter’s 504 accommodations because she was getting excellent grades.  They claimed that they only had to maintain a 504 plan if my daughter was failing and that she was not receiving accommodations.  Her teachers were making accommodations for her and so was I by reading her textbooks to her because the school had failed to provide audio books as required by her 504 plan.  Ms. Ball saw several errors made by the school district in their handling of this matter.  We agreed to her writing a letter to the school district outlining their errors and pertinent law.  Soon after the letter was received by the district I got a call from the principal.  He offered my daughter a new 504 plan meeting and at the meeting her 504 accommodations were completely restored and we were assured the school would do whatever was necessary to support my daughter’s academic achievement.  It was such a relief to walk out of the meeting.  The legal fee was absolutely worth it to assure that my daughter gets the support for which she is legally entitled.

JDM




Back in California & not a moment too soon...

After an entire decade of school districts in both California and Arizona discriminating against my behaviorally challenged and learning disabled student, Michelle Ball put them in their place quick! We were facing expulsion, yet she was able to stop this just in time, even on short notice. Instead of showing up to a meeting and being told how my son's future was "over" the entire administrative staff and educators present in a taped meeting did a complete 360 degree turnaround, staying nearly silent throughout the ordeal, only to say that they'd decided to keep my son enrolled and try better to make sure they had followed procedures for next time. Michelle did this with one email, which the principal received that morning! Now, I will say, that the former principal is unfortunately the new Superintendent of our district, but they aren't messing with ME anymore! My only regret is not calling Michelle 10 years ago, before my son was allowed special ed status. Our ordeal has been a literal nightmare up until this point, but things have certainly improved & I feel like a champion! Thanks so much....

Signed,
KC in CA at last.



I would highly recommend Michelle Ball

I would highly recommend Michelle Ball for cases involving education! My child was expelled for bringing a small pocket knife to school. Even though we were not contesting the fact he brought the pocket knife, we were definitely concerned that our District Office wanted to expel him for a whole year. This is a kid that has great grades, active in school and community activities, never missed a day of school and never had any previous blemishes on his school record. I felt the School District office was strong arming me into signing a stipulated expulsion that had no written conditions attached. I didn't know where else to turn. I had called ½ a dozen attorneys that would give me advice and I ended up selecting Michelle after reading testimonials on her website. I knew right away she was the right attorney to handle our case! Michelle was able to get our child schoolwork and graded while she worked this out with the School District and also got him back into his own school by the start of the next quarter. I would never have been able to do it without her. Michelle is knowledgeable and reliable. She kept me informed and she gave me hope.

We are grateful we found her!
S.S.



Michelle helped us

Michelle helped us to successfully change a denied interdistrict transfer to approved. She is knowledgeable, reasonable, detailed, and a great communicator to have in your corner. I would absolutely hire Michelle again and recommend her to anyone needing educational representation.

Take Care!
L.C.



Michelle got us on track

Michelle’s knowledge of school district policies was invaluable in our effort to secure an inter-district transfer for our daughter. She provided a clear, concise argument for our case and kept us focused on facts that the school district would have to acknowledge. We ultimately prevailed in securing a transfer, and our daughter is thriving in her new environment.

Thanks Michelle for all the hard work!
KH and CH



Amazing Attorney

I contacted Michelle regarding school issues with my son. I was scared because I didn't know the school lingo very well and wasn't sure what I was doing. I put all my trust in Michelle and she was amazing at what she accomplished for us. She was honest and straight-forward and I would recommend her to anyone that is in need of a good attorney for any school issues. When it comes to our kids you want to hire the best and Michelle knows her stuff.

Thank you Michelle!
V.H.



Michelle Ball Gives Hope

Michelle helped us with a serious situation that had been decided and closed. We did not know where to turn, what to do, or how to move forward. She did so much prep work to fight our case and the results were outstanding. We really had no hope left in our situation when we came to her but we were on top of the world when the case was resolved.

Thank you Michelle!
MG




We are forever grateful for Ms. Ball's tenacity

Our son was facing expulsion from a CSU and we knew we needed the assistance of an educational lawyer. Within the CSU campus system, being expelled from one CSU campus means you are expelled from ALL CSU campuses. Not knowing where to turn, we googled "education attorney" and found the name of an attorney practicing law in the area where my son was attending college. As soon as we spoke about my son's situation, he advised me he did not handle that type of "educational law," but immediately referred us to Michelle Ball, Esq. I asked if she was local, and he advised me she practiced law in Sacramento, CA, but that the distance between Ms. Ball to my son would not matter. He said he had worked on a case where Ms. Ball was opposing counsel. He was so impressed with the way she handled her client's case, he said she was the one we needed to contact regarding our son's situation.

Immediately, Ms. Ball and I were on a conference call - discussing the details of my son's case. She immediately put our minds to rest, giving us a plan and course of action to pursue my son's case. Letters were immediately written to my son's college, as well as Ms. Ball's persistence that the college take into consideration all aspects of my son's case (he is a disabled student). She advised the college of our son's plan to take time off from school to "regroup," and offered other alternatives for the college to consider other than expulsion. My son was not allowed to have Ms. Ball present with him at the time of his hearing, but Ms. Ball prepared a detailed outline for our son to follow during his meeting with school officials. After our son's meeting with school officials, he was advised he would hear back from them within ten days with their ruling. Our son did not hear back from college officials for almost 25 days. This time was extremely nerve racking for all of us.

The outcome of my son's case was suspension, not expulsion. This means he is able to return to college in good standing after his period of suspension. We know for a fact the outcome of our son's case would have had a different outcome if it were not for Ms. Ball. We are forever grateful for Ms. Ball's tenacity in seeing this case through and her compassion to us, as a family, through this very difficult time.
If you ever find yourself in a situation like ours, please do not hesitate to pick up the phone and call Ms. Ball immediately.

Sincerely,
KM




She's a great, experienced and knowledgeable Education Attorney

I certainly recommend Michelle Ball to represent anyone who has school issues. She's a great, experienced and knowledgeable Educational Attorney. She certainly helped my daughter to be placed in the right program at her school. I believe that had it not been for Ms. Michelle Ball's involvement my daughter would have missed two very important subjects. She accomplished what I had been unable to do in over 16 months. My wife and I want to thank you for your time and efforts. We respect what you do.

Sincerely
GH & LH




I highly recommend Michelle Ball!

Michelle Ball is a fantastic education attorney. Our school district wanted to make a school placement within the district that was not in the best interest of our children (IEP, 504, and handicapped). The district was adamant that our request for transfer would not be allowed, seemingly in opposition to the law. We felt existing law supported our requested placement based on the services available at the schools in the district. In the face of a unified negative response from all levels in the district she provided legal guidance and support that ultimately drove the district to change their position and grant our request. While the whole experience was unnerving, we learned not to give in, and pushed for a placement that was in the best interests of our children. The district seemed to believe that time and cost were on their side and that we would eventually accept their decision. With Michelle’s counsel we were able to fight and drive the district to change their position to one that met our children’s needs rather than the needs of the district. The cost of fighting the decision, while not insignificant, pales in comparison to the long term results that the district’s placement would have had on the rest of our children’s lives, and by extension, ours. They now have a much better chance at a quality education and a successful life, as opposed to the prospect of a less successful education experience and the negative impact that would have on the rest of their lives.

Many thanks!
RJJ




We knew we had to fight and right the wrong that was being done!

My husband and I decided to hire Michelle Ball after our daughter was unjustly cut from the high school varsity soccer team. We appealed the coach’s decision and met with a panel of six which included the assistant principal, the coach, the athletic director, as well as four others. They contended that our daughter had violated the CIF code of conduct by engaging in an altercation which resulted in a school suspension. We agreed that our daughter needed to be punished but that cutting her from the team was unjustly harsh and unwarranted! She had never been in trouble before and was a good student. They then said that the principal would make the final decision. Days later, the principal called and said she upheld the panel’s decision to not let my daughter back on the team. The principal was not present during the appeal so she never heard what we had to say!!! My husband and I knew that going against the school by ourselves was a futile endeavor. We knew we had to fight and right the wrong that was being done! It was at that point we knew we needed legal representation. We contacted Michelle Ball for that precise reason. Michelle’s staff was always very professional and our questions were promptly and courteously answered. Through her expertise and knowledge we learned that the code of conduct the school so righteously indicated our daughter had violated was actually being violated by the school itself!! Michelle sent a letter to the school district superintendent detailing the school’s obdurate behavior which in itself bordered on gender discrimination. That same week, my husband and daughter were called by the school principal for a meeting. She apologized and told our daughter she was reinstated back on the varsity soccer team. We truly believe that had it not been for Michelle Ball, our daughter would’ve lost out on playing a sport she truly loves her final year of high school!!! Thank you Michelle for righting the wrong of a system that at times acts omnipotent!!!

MAT



"Once again thank you very much for your commitment to helping me in my situation. You were nothing less then outstanding. You will always be highly recommended by me to others."

JM



Michelle Ball was able to accomplish in a little over a week, what I had been unable to do in over two years!!!

I never thought that I would need an educational attorney. After all, I was a retired special education teacher, and I had written my fair share of IEP's. I knew how to navigate my way around the special education system, or so I thought! Then came reality! My seventeen-year-old daughter, with a learning disbility, was being denied access to our local high school. It was the high school that she wanted to attend, and it was also the least restrictive environment for her. After trying everything in my bag of "educational" tricks, (over a period of two years), i.e. SST meetings, IEP meetings, a special education public school, and even a non public school, I still couldn't get her into the local high school.

So, I contacted Michelle Ball. I phoned her office on Monday evening, and by Thursday morning, my daughter and I were sitting in her office for our consultation. Michelle agreed with me that my daughter should be allowed to attend the local high school. As a result of our consultation, Michelle wrote an outstanding letter to the school district superintendent, stating our position, and gave recommendations for the school district to follow. On Monday, the letter was emailed, (and US mailed), to the school district superintendent. By Friday, my daughter and I were sitting in an IEP meeting, and we were selecting her high school classes . Michelle Ball was able to accomplish in a little over a week, what I had been unable to do in over two years!!!

Michelle Ball is an experienced, personable, and extremely knowledgeable educational attorney. I highly recommend her to anyone needing her services.

Sincerely,
J.L.F.

Michelle Ball... was a wealth of knowledge.

My son was expelled from the Elk Grove Unified School District for one semester. Elk Grove High recommended two semesters expulsion. I recommended dismissal based on lack of evidence and parent notification violations. I lost the case. The Expulsion Panel recommended one semester expulsion. I quickly appealed the case to the Elk Grove Board of Education. I was also allowed to appeal the two home suspensions to the school principal. During this time I hired Education Attorney Michelle Ball for legal advice. What I liked about Michelle is that I could pay for half hour and one hour sessions, which made it affordable. I would have my questions ready and she would provide legal answers and information on the education codes. She was a wealth of knowledge.

I lost my case with the Elk Grove Board of Education and the school principal upheld the two home suspensions. I then appealed the two home suspensions to the second level, which was the Student Services and Health Department. Knowing that the District would keep playing games with me, I hired Michelle to handle the second level appeal for the expulsion, which was the Sacramento Board of Education. Michelle wrote a letter to the District’s attorney (I call it the “power letter!”) informing them that I had retained counsel for the second level appeal. Shortly after the letter was sent the District dropped the expulsion. I did the research and had substantial evidence to prove that there were parent notification violations and lack of evidence to convict my son of a 48900 (c) violation, but it wasn’t until I hired Education Attorney Michelle Ball to handle my case, that my voice was heard.

R.C.

With Michelle on the case, the school ended up settling.

My daughter attended Rodriguez High School in the Fairfield Suisun Unified School District. The school failed to provide mandated services as specified by her IEP (Individualized Education Program) and also ignored five letters from her doctor, each one more urgent than the previous one, reminding the school that they needed to provide mandated services. Then, outrageously, the school attempted to expel my daughter when she ran into difficulties caused in very great part by the school's failure to help my daughter in any way, even though they were legally obligated to do so.

The school thought we would fall for signing a form, essentially rolling over dead, letting our daughter be expelled with no recourse to anything but private education afterward. I told them I would like to have my attorney look over the school’s paperwork and called Michelle Ball. With Michelle on the case, the school ended up settling. My daughter was not expelled from the district and received the attention she needed at a different school, a school much more suited to her needs.

A year later, the school failed to provide my daughter’s mandated services again, and I formally reminded them that they were defaulting on a legal agreement and would be liable for their actions. That rectified the problem; I’m quite sure they knew Michelle Ball would not let this slide.

My daughter ended the last school semester with a 3.76 GPA, the best of any of our children! Michelle is a very hard-working, capable attorney and a caring human being. I would highly recommend her to anyone whose child is experiencing a problem with the education system.
 
J.B.

Thank you Michelle...

for the time and energy you put into helping our son secure a proper high school education. It was a pleasure working with an attorney who actually knew and understood not only the law but the process to achieve results as well. Your responsiveness and attention to detail were greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work.  I am sure many more people will benefit from your practice in the future. Best of luck. We will definitely recommend you should any of our acquaintances require the services you provide.
 
D.W.

Hi Michelle:

I hope all is well.  We were really impressed by your personal attention and caring in our daughter's matter. Without a doubt you are the most sincere and honest lawyer I have ever met. At the end of the day, that makes you the best lawyer I have ever dealt with.   You win some, you lose some.  Please do not lose that quality. (ever!!)

H.R.

Michelle Saved Our Sons Sports Future

Our son is a natural athlete who needs his sports to keep his ADHD "reigned in." After a very impulsive act by him, he was suspended on the pretext that it would be for one week. At the end of this week we met with the school administrators and were told that he was being recommended for expulsion, and would remain suspended until the outcome of the expulsion hearing. Needless to say we were devastated - an expulsion would mean either home schooling or worse, a continuation school (which in our eyes was not an option), and NO SPORTS for the duration of the expulsion which was 2 semesters. Not knowing where to find an attorney who dealt with this kind of thing we hit the internet and found Michelle. She returned our phone call within one day and we were sitting in her office the very next. She was very honest with us in letting us know that this would be a difficult case to win, what the associated fees would be and by the end of session she was hired! With one week left before the expulsion hearing she had the entire process put on hold so a formal educational assessment could be done, and arranged it so our son was allowed to return to his High School during this process. Because of the traveling distance Michelle was in attendance at the IEP (individualized education program) meeting over the phone and was a tremendous asset. By the end of this emotional 4 hour session, she not only had the committee agreeing to qualify him for special education because of his ADHD, but also proved that his actions were a direct manifestation of his disability which completely stopped the expulsion process and wiped the entire disciplinary action from his school file. Because of Michelle's knowledge and hard work, our son is back on the path of a Football Scholarship and his dream to play college ball!

We owe her so much!
B.H. & K.H.

Hello Michelle,

I wanted to let you know I received the check (district repayment to parents) and all the services have been implemented.  He is doing great.  He got 5 “A's,” 1 “B,” and 1 “C” - the best he's ever done. It's been his best year in high school yet.  He likes all his teachers and they comment on how he is such a nice, polite, focused student.  He is making long term goals now and is becoming quite a responsible guy.  He is even checking out colleges.  Thank you for all your hard work.  Probation will be over in December and we will be celebrating.  Somehow this whole event must have been some sort of blessing but I can't help but remember how they insisted he be expelled.  That just makes me angry.  Again, thanks for being our advocate. He is proving without a doubt that he should have never been up for expulsion.

Many thanks,
M.N.

Dear Michelle,

I was one of your clients about six months ago. I came to your office hopeless and asked you for a resolution about my wrongful exclusion from a pharmacy school (School B). I am writing this note to let you know how much I appreciated your letter. I want you to know your letter gave the whole school a big shake. I was told that the faculty had several long meetings to discuss my case after they read your letter. The main reason I was not able to attend the school (School B) was because many pharmacy schools feel betrayed when another pharmacy school accepts a student who previously attended another pharmacy school (School A) since there are only seven pharmacy schools in California. The Dean told me that we don’t want your school (School A) to feel like we are stealing you from them. What I am trying to say is that the School B would have definitely accepted me back with your letter if I had no other school to go back to (School A).

After the week that School B excluded me, I found other private loans and went back to my original pharmacy school (School A). Even though I was not able to switch to School B because of financial reasons, I feel like your strong letter gave me justice by letting the school know from a professional point of view that this process was not legal and I could take legal action if I desired. You gave me the chance to inform them that what they did was not fair and was unethical. I would have paid you another $500 for the letter you wrote me even if I knew they would not accept me back. I have read your letter more than 10 times and there isn’t one word that I would had added or switched. What impresses me the most is how you were able to understand my full story and write that impressive letter in only one hour. I have you in mind for any of my family or friends who need your assistance.

Thank you. Keep up the great work.
N.K.

Michelle Gets Results!!!

Recently my son was expelled from the local high school. To complicate matters my son needed to show proof of enrollment in high school to maintain good standing in a court ordered program. My son's court date was fast approaching which caused my wife and me several sleepless nights. We tried calling the school principal several times to resolve the issue without success. As a last resort I searched the internet and found Michelle Ball. What luck! I called Michelle right away and received a return call the same day. I explained my son's situation and Michelle thought she could be of assistance. We scheduled a phone conversation for the next day which was convenient since we live about 90 miles away. The phone conversation lasted about 40 minutes and right away I knew Michelle could help us; what a relief. I authorized Michelle to move forward on my son's case and within forty-eight hours Michelle had drafted and delivered a letter to the school superintendent. The following Monday I received an e-mail from Michelle that said: "We're back in school!" I can't tell you the relief reading that e-mail. My son is back in school, he's in compliance with the court program, he received credit for an additional class the school was contesting, the principal is cooperative and responsive and he's close to graduation.

Thanks Michelle!
A.B.



Michelle Ball: The Best Attorney at Law

Michelle Ball is by far the best attorney ever. She accomplished keeping our son from an expulsion and did it in record time!

We were referred to Michelle by a friend, who talked highly of her and gave us her number. We called Michelle’s office and made an appointment to speak with her by phone. This made it so much easier than taking time off work and traveling 75 miles to consult with her. My wife and I found this very convenient.

On Oct 22nd, my wife, our friend, and I met in our friend’s office for a conference call with Michelle. We told Michelle that our 16 year old son was one of six students in trouble for using, selling, and/or possession of drug(s) (ecstasy). Our school follows the “Zero Tolerance” policy and our son was being recommended for a Mandatory Expulsion.

After 30 minutes of discussion about our son’s situation, Michelle told us our options. My wife and I had a lot to talk about. Hiring an attorney, Michelle, was going to cost money and there was no guarantee that the recommendation of mandatory expulsion would be lifted. We decided our son’s education was invaluable to us and proceeded with hiring Michelle.

On Oct 30th, I emailed Michelle, told her things were not going so well, and we would like to obtain her services.

On Oct 31st, she emailed us a fee agreement and release form to be completed and faxed to her.

On Nov 1st, the completed forms were faxed to her and she was hired.

On Nov. 3rd, she wrote a letter to the school district’s attorney, informing them know she had been retained to represent our son. The letter proceeded with facts that basically lit a fire under their bottoms. I quickly learned that Michelle Ball is aggressive and knows her specialty well.

Michelle and I corresponded the whole time by email (several), spoke 3 times by phone, and never met. This seemed very strange, but I have to tell you it worked well. It took care of business and kept the fees quite low. Take my word for it; this is the way to go.

On Nov. 21st, we celebrated the victory of the dropped expulsion. Our son returned to high school 1 week later.

This is an incredible story. Not everyone or every situation will have this type of prevailing outcome, but I believe you have a fighting chance with Michelle Ball. This is her specialty and she knows it well.

If your child is in a bad predicament as a student and you are not sure an attorney would be of value to your situation, call Michelle. She’s honest, sincere, and understanding, all while remaining professional. She is out to get the best for your child (and you) at the same time not gouging your pocket book for everything in it.

Thanks Michelle for everything. You are by far the best attorney I know, and that’s coming from a person who’s sibling is an attorney.

S.N.



I am most pleased to recommend Ms. Michelle Ball for legal assistance in school matters.

My wife and I desired our daughter to be admitted to the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program in our School District. We believed she was well qualified based on a widely recognized test, teacher recommendation, school grades, and State testing. However, the school district used but one narrowly focused test of spatial pattern recognition as the primary entry criteria into the GATE program. Our daughter did not excel in this one area.

Ms. Ball thoroughly researched the School District GATE policy. She conferred with an administrator at the State Board of Education, and with the psychologist who did the IQ test for our daughter. With this information, she wrote a well-reasoned letter, which forcefully argued for our daughter’s admission to the GATE program. She had also had the psychologist write a letter on our daughter’s behalf.

Armed with the above, Ms. Ball, my wife, and I met with the School District officials. Although the District did not wish to change its policy, we got our daughter admitted to the GATE school and into GATE and honors classes.

Ms. Ball aggressively represented our child’s case to the School District, with a positive result. I highly recommend her for legal matters involving schools.

Sincerely,
MAW, M.D.

Hi Michelle:

I wanted to let you know that my grandson is going to graduate in May. He passed all of his finals and will for sure graduate on the 29th. He is like a little boy ‘cause he is so happy to get out of high school. Now he knows for sure he has made it. He has been at a loss for words lately.

The school has also backed off a whole lot. The adult involved does not talk to or sit in the same room or even look at him anymore. I don’t know how to thank you for all the help or work you have done. You are the best and a very good friend to us. Without you he would not have gotten this chance to graduate or go this far. For all these years we have fought and had to call on you 3 times in 13 years. We feel as a family you are a part of us too. We might still need you for my younger grandson, although since you came to help on my older grandson, the school has somewhat backed off on the younger one. But you never know what might happen. You deserve so much. You saved us from great loss and I THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Also, everyone else is thankful that he is almost done too. The school is paying for his cap and gown... is that cool or what? I think they may also be paying for his senior field trip too. See you did make a difference in our lives! Thank you again for giving him this chance and giving us our grandson and son back. He is now thinking about his future employment. He is looking forward and does not want to look back. He feels like he has a new life and that he can learn more as he goes. May God Bless you many times over again.

Lots of love to all of you
CW & DL



We were referred to Michelle Ball from two other families in our county regarding school/district related issues. After our initial telephone consultation with her, we were confident in what our outcome would be. Ms. Ball’s knowledge of our inter-district issues really benefited our situation. She was extremely professional and expeditious in handling our matter. The requests presented by her, which our school had previously denied, were immediately granted. We truly appreciate all of her help and would definitely use her services in the future if needed.

DR and LR



Michelle,

First, I want to thank you for all your efforts on our behalf. If you would like a reference I would be happy to give you one, in letter form or by personal call.

My son is now placed at a facility in X City by the school district and county mental health, as of last week. They are paying for this placement. The best part is that he is doing VERY, VERY well there, and although it has only been a week, there is a dramatic difference in him. This placement is very small, only 36 boys max, is day treatment in a home-like setting, and they use animals in the therapy. He is already doing his schoolwork which for months at the other schools he refused daily.

I wanted you to know that everything worked out very well, and we are pleased with the result. Although it was very costly in the interim, our goal was to get our son into an appropriate placement, which this is. I do believe that if we had not employed your services, we may not have had the same result. I have recommended you to others, and they will probably refer clients to you.

Thanks,
PK



Michelle helped us through 2 significant events during the time my son was in school until he graduated this past June. She gathered files and files of documentation, rules and regulations and policy and procedures. She covered every base.
We got the justice that my son was entitled to and made sure all his civil rights were kept intact.

I will forever be so grateful to Michelle for giving us the encouragement we needed at a time when we thought we had no where else to turn and no one to support our concerns.
I personally have already recommended her to 2 other families and will continue to so when I am asked.

Again, hiring Michelle Ball not once but twice was the best decision I made during my son’s duration in middle school as well as high school. We were all thrilled, including Michelle, the day my son graduated in June O8.

Thank You Michelle!!!
CKM



Michelle Ball has on more than one occasion “Come to our rescue” dealing with School District issues. Unfortunately, these days school districts are so bound up by their own educational codes that they no longer have the flexibility to make decisions on their own. I can’t tell you the number of times I had school administrators tell me “Their Hands Are Tied”.

Michelle finds ways to use the very same educational codes to seek fair and equitable resolutions to administration and educational issues. Essentially, untying the hands of the administrators to allow them to develop creative solutions to the many types of problems they are faced with.
I tell anyone who is faced with school administration or educational problems to “Seek Council” and more specifically, call Michelle Ball!

JSG



Michelle.....our family wants to thank you for all of your hard work on this matter........the letter you wrote is outstanding and well thought out.....the most important thing to us is that our son’s side of the story is now well documented and will remain in his permanent record.....he is happy at his new school and doing very well.......so everything seems to be coming together despite the stress we’ve all been through.....

Sincerely,
KP, KB, and WB



Even though I knew my daughter's suspension was wrong, it wasn't even about the suspension any more, it was about making sure schools are checking and documenting their facts and doing the right thing for all the children involved. This was clearly not happening.  When I picked legal counsel out of the yellow pages, I really scored when I found Michelle Ball. She was straightforward, knowledgeable, and understanding of my situation. There were no delusions however of an easy win. She started by drafting a letter to the school district stating my wishes and requesting a hearing if they would not comply. Of course, as expected, they did not lift the suspension and scheduled a hearing. Although Michelle diligently helped prepare me for the hearing, I can't tell you how relieved I was to get her phone call the day before the hearing telling me that the district was removing the suspension and we had won. Miracles do happen – that miracle was finding Michelle Ball. She treated me with respect and gave powerful legal structure to my words and actions.

DG

We would like to thank you very much for the very successful resolution of our case. The outcome far exceeded our expectations and we could not be any more pleased. We appreciate the professional manner in which you handled our case and although we certainly hope that we never require your services again, we would certainly refer you to anyone that we know whose child might find themselves in the same position that our son was in. Again thank you for your help.

GB & SB

Thanks to Michelle Ball for successfully taking on my son’s case who was just weeks away from graduating High School when he was faced with expulsion, because a knife was found in my car. His name had “come up” along with 6 other students in a conversation with the V.P. and a highly intoxicated student found passed out on the bathroom floor in the gym. He granted consent for the V.P. to search my vehicle for open alcohol knowing full well that there was none. Imagine our shock and surprise when the V.P. pressed charges for finding a small knife that I’ve had in my car for 20 years! Not only did she [Michelle Ball] get the school district to drop their pursuit of expulsion charges, but she was instrumental in getting his case thrown out of court as well. My son was able to finish school through Home Instruction and received his diploma from the school he had been attending for 4 years.

A thousand “THANK YOU’S” for helping him graduate!!!
H.F.K.



Michelle was my ray of light in a very dim situation. My daughter was facing expulsion of two semesters, one school year, her junior year. The school board superintendent had just informed me that we would have the option of my daughter being home schooled or sent to an alternative school where “the attending students had just been released from jail or were one foot from being put into jail”. When I had suggested putting her in another school inside the school district he flatly said “no”. That she couldn’t go to another school in our district or any other public high school in the state! This sentence had been given due to finding smoking paraphernalia in her drawer at summer camp before the school year started, finding a cigarette lighter in her backpack the previous school year and smoking on campus the beginning of her freshman year.

When I stated I wanted a lawyer, the superintendent told me I could, however that it had never been done before! The hearing was in two weeks. I got Michelle’s name from a lawyer friend of mine. I had never heard of an Educational Lawyer. Michelle informed us of our rights, found errors in the written statements the superintendent had given us then advised us on the possible outcomes. Immediately the school district started finding other options. The expulsion was reduced to a suspended expulsion for one semester. My daughter was admitted into a nationally recognized charter school in our district and is well on her way to graduation with honors.

I couldn’t be more pleased.
C.W.

Dear Michelle, I was very worried my son would be expelled from school for being intoxicated at a school football game. It was his first mistake and the school didn’t care if my son was a straight "A" student and had never been in trouble before. They had zero tolerance. I didn’t know who to turn to until I was referred to your office by my legal membership plan. When we first met, you gave us confidence that the matter could be settled outside of a board hearing because of your expertise, and you stayed on top of our case even with your caseload. You were easy to contact and resolved the matter before the scheduled hearing. My son was administratively transferred to another school instead of being expelled for the remainder of the year and has now returned to his former school. He learned a valuable lesson, is back on track, and has kept his grades up.

Thank you for your help.
V.B.



Dear Michelle Ball,

Sometime ago you performed some work for me and I just wanted to thank-you for everything you did for me. I received my degrees and my first semester of credentialed teaching was intense. 500 children in one choir, seventy-five children in another choir, 200 children in band (so I made four marching bands), six hundred children in general music (three hundred on recorder) and high school and junior high school marching band games and rehearsals.

I thought I was going to collapse after Christmas. I am publishing my second set of books: Method Books for Band and I am applying for jobs to get back to Sacramento as a teacher.

I want to thank-you once again for everything you did for me.

Sincerely,
J.B.

I hired Michelle Ball to assist me in my education case with my child who at the time was attending a private school. Ms. Ball was recommended to me by two different people who had engaged her services for situations similar to my child’s. Ms. Ball and her staff were courteous, extremely sensitive and highly professional in carrying out their commitment to get the best possible outcome. Moreover, Ms. Ball, besides having a “legal eagle quality” with Education Law, is very knowledgeable and well-versed on how the different school districts and private schools operate in the surrounding counties in the Central Valley and Sacramento area.  I learned a great deal from her that was helpful in tactical decisions in my child’s case. .  Because of Ms. Ball’s experience and legal expertise, the outcome of my case was beyond my expectations given that she was dealing with a private school. I would, without any reservations, recommend her to any parent who would be in need of her very valuable service.

M.B.



Michelle was able to help our family when my 16 year old son was being considered for expulsion from high school. Our son had been behaving poorly and was involved in the theft of school property. To make matters worse he had been fishing the day before and had a small fishing knife in his back pack. Michelle was able to work with the school district and our son was placed on suspension, and we agreed that he would not return to his high school for one semester in lieu of expulsion. We were very pleased with this outcome as he will not have an expulsion on his record.

S.S.



Hi everyone, my name is Chris and I called Michelle a few years back to help me deal with a situation that I went through with a paramedic program that I was in and later went on to complete successfully. I enrolled in the program about four years ago and finished the first two phases of the program and was in the middle of the third and final phase when I began running into some serious issues with the school and the way things were being handled. My hours were not being counted and there were some other issues too. I went up the chain, within the school, and my problems were not being addressed. I was working a lot and had invested everything I had saved toward getting through the program, so when I felt I could no longer risk waiting to see what would happen, I left the program and accepted a job with the fire department. Shortly after starting the fire academy, I received a letter from the school saying I had been dismissed from the program. I was allowed to write three appeal letters, so I did, and every time I was denied. So upon completion of the fire academy I contacted Michelle and explained the situation, and provided her all the documentation that I had. Within two weeks or so I was readmitted and since then I went on to complete my internship and have held my license for about a year now.  You have no idea how important receiving my medic license has been to me and I have to say without Michelle it would not have happened. Anyways, thank you Michelle, more than you'll ever know...and by the way, Michelle's fees were very reasonable.

C.C.



Dear Michelle, I am writing you to tell you that my husband and I are deeply grateful to you and your staff for your devotion and professionalism.
 
We were at our wits end on trying to resolve our sons educational needs with the public school system.  We thought schools where there to educate and help us.  We found however, the bureaucracy and legalities involved were overwhelming and that the school and the District where not interested in helping us or our son but instead interested in their own agenda.
 
After years of advocating for our son, we finally decided to get some professional help.  After finding your listing in the Yellow Pages under Educational Law, I felt that maybe finally we had found someone that had an understanding of what our struggle had been.  Immediately after the first phone call I felt relief.  After speaking to your secretary I thought, "finally someone that can help".
 
My thoughts where right.  The best decision I made was making that phone call that day.  Once you got involved everything changed.  Thanks to your help our son is now successful in school.  He is getting the help he needs and is on his way. His self esteem and motivation has changed due to the changes that the school has made.
 
I know we would have never gotten our sons educational needs met without your involvement.  After years of trying I know this is true. I speak to many parents and grandparents who are going insane dealing with the current school system and I tell them my story, our sons story, and how are lives changed after getting your help. 
 
There are too many children who are suffering needlessly and parents who worry about them.  Parents who try hard to work with their local schools, believe what they say, as we did, but get nowhere.  Our son is on the road to success because I made that call, that day two years ago. I feel relieved to know there is someone in his corner other than his father and I. I no longer feel helpless because I have the comfort of knowing if I need help, I have found a great recourse.
 
That great recourse is you, Michelle Ball. I know without your expertise and professionalism we would never have been able to have our sons specific needs met. Our family thanks you. 
 
Thank you.    
G.B.



Michelle Ball took our case and successfully obtained an alternative that was better than the options that we were given by the school.  Now our child is on track to graduate while remaining in the public school system.  She also informed us of rights that our child has in school and helped obtain a special plan so that the school can better accommodate our child in the learning process. 

Michelle is the greatest!
D.W. & M.W.    
 


Michelle Ball is a very good attorney to represent families that face education discipline disputes with school districts. Michelle will take the time to educate you on what to expect, along with being a great advocate for you when dealing with school districts. She will also give great advice regarding what possible outcomes you can expect depending on what discipline action you are facing. Our son was initially charged with drug possession with intent to sell at a Sacramento-area high school and facing not only suspension but also possible expulsion. With Michelle’s help, we identified errors in the school’s incident report and got the intent to sell charge removed from his record. In addition, the school district dropped their pursuit of an expulsion hearing for our son. As a result, I highly recommend Michelle Ball to represent your interests to the highest degree during times when families often do not know what to do or who to believe.

W.H.    
 


These testimonials or endorsements do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of a legal matter.