Hey COPAA Members! Do you know other attorneys, advocates, parents and related professionals who should be a part of our 1400+ and growing member body?

Now is the time to refer your friends and colleagues! Between now and February 2014, COPAA will be holding a Membership Drive, and we will be giving away one free registration to the 2014 Conference to the current COPAA member who recruits the most new members into our organization – or entices lapsed members to renew! 

With over 1400 members nationwide, COPAA is at the forefront of special education advocacy. As a COPAA member, you can help increase our visibility and membership by spreading the word about our organization. COPAA members enjoy many benefits throughout the year, including discounts on registration for training opportunities and the annual conference, access to resources and information through COPAA’s website, publications, technical assistance, and a discounted rate for LRP publications.

Between now and February, we will be tracking the number of new or renewed members who are referred by an existing member. To qualify for entry in the contest, you must be an existing member in good standing during all times that the contest is active, and you must recruit a minimum of 5 new or renewed members. To participate in the contest, simply go to the COPAA website and use the "refer a friend” feature in the right-side menu box. You can send a message directly through the website, or copy and paste your referral link into an email elsewhere. By using this feature, you can also monitor your progress on your profile when you log in because those who register via your referral will appear under "My Referrals.” Note that for the "refer a friend” feature to work on the website, the new member you are recruiting must click on the link provided in the email sent to them. You may want to remind those you email to use the link in order to make sure that you receive credit!

The winner of the Membership Drive will receive a free registration to COPAA’s 16^th Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland in 2014! This prize applies to a waiver of the fee for the main conference only. The COPAA Conference provides unique opportunities for training and networking with the most experienced and knowledgeable special education advocates and attorneys on special education issues.

Membership is open to all persons who are interested in furtherance of the purposes of the Corporation, provided however: membership shall not normally be available to (1) persons currently employed by, or receive more than 50% of their income from, state, intermediate or local education agencies, as those terms are defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), or (2) attorneys who represent such agencies or who have represented such agencies within five years from the date of their application for membership, or (3) advocates or related professionals who provide representation, advice or consultation to such agencies or who have provided such services within five years from the date of the application for membership. *The full membership rules and bylaws are available on COPAA’s website.