Lester E. Taylor and Caitlin Pletcher Discuss Legal Matters in Special Education

Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton and Taylor Partners, Lester Taylor and Caitlin Pletcher, will discuss Legal Matters in Special Education on October 3 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. This program is part of a workshop series being presented by Monmouth University’s Special Services Academy (SSA). For more information or to register, please contact .

Taylor and Pletcher will discuss:

• Developing Legally Defensible IEPs
• Staffing Shortages & Compensatory Education; Strategies & Best Practices
• Case Law Update
• New Federal and State Guidance/Mandates

Special Services Academy

The purpose of the Special Services Academy is to create an opportunity for dialogue and an exchange of ideas and experiences for Directors of Special Services, Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultants, School Psychologists, School Social Workers, and Speech Language Specialists. Through collaboration with university administrators and faculty, the academy will provide professional learning communities that offer growth opportunities for members through sessions which focus on promoting reflective practice and positively impacting student and teacher learning.

Lester Taylor is a Partner at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor. He represents counties, municipalities, and boards of education throughout New Jersey in matters related to general counsel services, litigation, labor, employment, and redevelopment. Lester served as Mayor of the City of East Orange, NJ, from 2014-2017. He has received numerous awards and recognition from various civic organizations and often volunteers to speak with students on the importance of education and developing leadership skills. Currently, Lester serves on the Board of Trustees of the Montclair State University Foundation, the Board of Three Doctors Foundation, the Board of the United Way of Greater Newark, the Board of Sustainable Jersey, and the Board of Jersey Water Works. Lester graduated from Montclair State University and Howard University School of Law.

Caitlin Pletcher, an experienced school board attorney, started her legal career at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton and Taylor firm and rejoined the firm after serving in the Division of Field Services at the New Jersey Department of Education, where she worked closely with the Executive County Superintendents and 21 County Offices of Education.  Pletcher represents boards of education throughout New Jersey in litigation and daily counseling related to special education, student discipline, personnel/employment issues, negotiations, OPRA, and other general counsel matters.  She is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, as well as the Camden County and Burlington County Bar Associations. Pletcher graduated from Boston College in 2005 and Rutgers University Law School—Camden in 2008.

Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC is a 50 Attorney full-service Law Firm with offices in Belvidere, Cherry Hill and New Providence in New Jersey; Easton and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and New York City, New York. Founded in 1996 by New Jersey Governor James Florio after leaving public office and Michael J. Perrucci, well known as a litigation trial attorney in numerous million-dollar federal and state cases, the firm is recognized as one of the fastest-growing law firms in the Tri-State area. For more than 20 years, the firm successfully represents public and private sector clients with legal strategy, government advocacy, and business solutions.