About.

Kathryn (Kate) Sullivan is an attorney, an advocate and a mom of twins.  She started her journey with the initial evaluation and eligibility process for her son when he was in kindergarten.  When he was not eligible for an Individualized Education Program (IEP), she still believed her son needed some type of services.  Academically he was not struggling to access the curriculum but socially and emotionally school was extremely difficult.  After private neuropsychological testing, her son had a diagnosis of general anxiety and was placed on a 504 Plan to support him. 

 

Attorney Sullivan’s family’s journey did not stop there though and the process would begin again when her daughter was in second grade and qualified for an IEP, after an initial school-based evaluation and private neuropsychological testing. 

 

Both of these experiences were extremely different because each child has his/her own unique needs and Attorney Sullivan’s IEP experience left her feeling overawed not knowing how to best advocate for her children. 

Confident “knowledge is power and knowledge shared is power multiplied,” Attorney Sullivan immersed herself in special education laws, regulations and procedures.  She attended the Federation for Children’s Parent Consultant Training Institute (PCTI) in 2019.  She completed the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) Special Education Law Course for Attorneys in 2021.  She also completed the Wrightslaw Special Education Law & Advocacy Training in 2021. 

 

Attorney Sullivan graduated from Fairfield University and Suffolk Law School and has over 20 years of litigation experience.  

 

Her career started as a prosecutor for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.  This career opportunity allowed her to perfect the art of negotiation while molding and honing her courtroom presence.  After leaving the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, she began working as a criminal defense attorney until November 2021.  During those 13 years, she represented hundreds of juveniles and adults who often presented with underlying or undiagnosed mental illness and were most often uneducated and had little to no family support.  All of these different dynamics made her self-aware of her temperament especially in emotionally charged situations as well as her need to be empathetic.  She learned the art of listening more closely without judgment and while exercising patience. 

 

During her 20-year career as a litigator, she has gathered the knowledge and skill set to advocate with a consistent temperament for her clients and her daughter.  She utilizes those skills to positively impact the lives of those she serves.  And as a special education attorney, she is poised to use her knowledge of the law and her competencies in its application to the betterment of families that she represents.

 

Attorney Sullivan is a member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) and the Special Needs Advocacy Network (SPAN).  She is co-chair of Hanover’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) (2019-present).  She was co-chair of Hanover’s SEPAC Literacy Working Group Subcommittee (2019-2021). 

Attorney Sullivan actively attends Continuing Legal Education, specialized courses, classes and webinars in order to build her knowledge and keep current in the area of special education and disability law.  She is passionate about learning as much as she can in this area. 

Education.

  • Suffolk University Law School, Boston, MA Juris Doctor, Cum Laude, 2002 

  • Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT BA:  Economics, Minor:  Sociology, 1997 

  • Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates Special Education Law Course, 2021 

Continuing Education.

  • What is Dyslexia? An In-depth Look Course (Dyslexia Training Institute)

  • Youth Mental Health First Aid (Collaborative for Educational Services)

  • Trauma Training (Federation for Children with Special Needs “FCSN”)

  • Discipline and Suspension (FCSN)

  • Mock Trial of a BSEA Hearing (MCLE)

  • Practical Strategies for Increasing Student Engagement-Anxiety and Executive Functioning (Jessica Minahan and Sarah Ward)

  • SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented and Time-bound) Goals (Special Needs Advocacy Network, Inc. “SPAN”)

  • Transition Planning (The ARC)

  • Practical Strategies to Reduce Anxiety in Students (Jessica Minahan)

  • Diagnosing Students with LBLD: The Critical Role of Neuropsychological Testing (Landmark School Outreach Program)

  • IEP Reading Goal Workshop (Decoding Dyslexia Oregon)

  • Importance of Orthographic Mapping (Barbara Wilson)

  • Back to School: Mental Health and Behavioral Needs (FCSN)

  • Dysgraphia & Dyscalculia-Diagnosis, Interventions and the IEP (SPAN)

  • Dyslexia Myths, Facts and Interventions (Marianne Nice)

  • Basic Rights in Special Education Workshop (FCSN)

  • Visions of Community Conference (FCSN)

  • Annual BSEA and Legislative Updates (Attorney Dan Ahearn-SPAN)

  • Breakthrough Strategies to Develop Independent Executive Function Skills (Sarah Ward)

  • Demystifying Dyslexia (Sara Gannon, MEd)

  • Uncovering Racial Trauma (Dr. Ken Hardy)

  • Supporting the Executive Function Through Process Writing (Landmark Outreach Program)

  • Section 504 Plans (FCSN)