On Friday, February 17, 2006, eleven Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) with the new Special Education Division of the California Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) were "enrobed" in a ceremony held in the historic wood-paneled Room 500 of the Library and Courts Building before an audience of approximately 100 people. Chief Justice Arthur Scotland of the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, performed the "swearing-in" honors. ALJ William "Bill" Hoover was Master of Ceremonies and introduced the panel. OAH Special Education Division Presiding Judge Karl Engeman discussed the history and responsibilities of this new division. OAH Executive Director and Chief Administrative Law Judge Ron Diedrich talked about OAH and the role of an ALJ.

11 New Administrative Law Judges with the Special Education Division of the Office of Administrative Hearings

The California Legislature established OAH in 1946. OAH is a quasijudicial tribunal that hears administrative disputes and provides independent ALJs to conduct hearings and provide alternative dispute resolution services for over 150 state and 800 local government agencies. OAH has an annual caseload volume of over 14,000 cases. In addition, effective July 1, 2005, OAH began processing Special Education due process hearings and mediations for the California Department of Education. OAH opened three Special Education district offices statewide (Sacramento, Irvine, and Van Nuys) with the Sacramento office heading up the new program under the guidance of Judge Engeman.

The new Sacramento Special Education ALJs mediate and adjudicate disputes between parents of children with disabilities and school districts under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) and related California Education Code laws and regulations.

Former State Assembly member Darrell Steinberg made a surprise guest appearance to congratulate the group.

The new ALJs who joined OAH between August 2005 and January 2006 are:

SUZANNE BROWN: BA (with honors), UC Davis; JD, 1995, UC Davis School of Law; private practice, education law; Hearing Officer, 7 years, CA Special Education Hearing Office, UOP McGeorge School of Law.

PETER PAUL CASTILLO: 1986, Stanford University; 1989, JD, UC Davis School of Law; 14 years, Senior and Supervising Staff Counsel, CA Dept. of Social Services; taught administrative law and legal writing to paralegals at UC Davis.

RICHARD CLARK: BA, 1987, CSU Sacramento; 1990, JD, UOP McGeorge School of Law; 13 years, Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney's Office; Deputy Attorney General, CA Department of Justice.

GARY GEREN: BA, 1983, San Jose State University; JD, 1988, UOP Mc George School of Law; Traynor Honor Society; attorney, 17 years, CA Department of Transportation.

DEBRA HUSTON: JD, 1984, UOP McGeorge School of Law; 13 years, appellate litigation, private practice, Carmel, CA; State Public Defender's Office; Legislative Counsel Bureau; Legal Advisor, former Assembly Member Darrell Steinberg.

DEIDRE JOHNSON: BA (with distinction) 1971, UC Berkeley; 1975, JD, Golden Gate University School of Law; private practice in Bay Area; 1984-2005, CA Dept. of Real Estate.

KEITH J. KIRCHUBEL: 1986, UC Berkeley; JD, 1997, UOP McGeorge School of Law, Order of the Coif and Traynor Honor Society; 7 years, litigation attorney, CA Department of Transportation.

JUDITH KOPEC: JD, MA, 1984, 1985, UC Davis; 1987 - 1997, Staff Counsel, CA Dept. of Social Services and other state agencies; 1997, Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board - Chief Hearing Officer and Chief Counsel.

CHARLES MARSON: JD, 1967, University of Chicago, Law Review, Order of the Coif; Until 1977, Legislative Representative then Legal Director of ACLU of Northern California; 1977 - 1984, Assoc. Professor of Law, Stanford Law School; until 1995, partner with Remcho Johansen & Purcell, San Francisco; solo practice; 2002, Adjunct Professor Of Law, Golden Gate University School of Law; 2003-04,Visiting Professor, Golden Gate University School of Law.

TREVOR SKARDA: BS, 1993, University of Oregon; JD (with great distinction) 1996, UOP McGeorge School of Law, Order of the Coif, Traynor Honor Society, several American Jurisprudence awards; 1998 - 2004, Senior Hearing Officer with CA Special Education Hearing Office.

JOHN A. THAWLEY: BA, 1990, University of Hawaii; JD, 1994, UC Davis School of Law; 1994-1997, clerk, the late U.S. Magistrate Judge Hollis G. Best; 1998, private practice; 1999, Deputy Attorney General, CA Department of Justice; 1984-1988: U.S. Army; served in the National Guard and Army Reserve; currently, Lieutenant Colonel, Assistant State Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer, Northern California.

May / June 2006