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Welcome
to the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Council of Parent Attorneys and
Advocates, Inc. (COPAA)! COPAA is a national voice for special
education rights and advocacy. COPAA is premised on the belief that
the key to effective educational programs for children with disabilities
is collaboration-as equals-by parents and educators. Today, COPAA
has nearly 1100 members in 47 states and the District of Columbia. We
salute our members for their efforts to protect the educational and civil
rights of children with disabilities.
COPAA was founded in 1998 by Jim Rosenfeld. There were 21 members on COPAA's organizing Board of Directors. Read the list here. At the first annual conference in Orlando, Florida, nearly 200 attorneys, advocates and parents came together to lay the foundation for a national organization dedicated to special education advocacy. The new organization would establish a network of legal and advocacy resources, and train members. COPAA's annual conference has continued to grow. In 2003, COPAA added an intensive skills training to its conference for attorneys and advocates and the response was tremendous. Our membership has likewise grown. In 2008, we had 1100 members!
Over the years, so many people have given a great deal of time and effort to COPAA. Their work is what has made COPAA strong. Volunteers and staff have organized the COPAA Conference, run the listserv and website, coordinated amicus curiae briefs with the Courts of Appeals and Supreme Court, worked on professional advocate issues, advocated with policymakers, created the brief bank, created the Special Education Advocates Training curriculum development program and run the many operations that make up COPAA. Together, we have created an incredible network of parents, advocates, attorneys, and others dedicated to ensuring that children with disabilities are not deprived of the appropriate education that every child deserves. COPAA values all of our members and their hard work.
There are 57 terrific people who have served on COPAA's Board of Directors over the last decade. Read the list of Board members and staff here. We thank all of our Board members and volunteers for their hard work and incredible service to the organization, without which COPAA would not be here today. We also thank our Executive Director, Denise Marshall, and our Member Services Coordinator, Marcie Hipple, for their tremendous work. We thank Jim Rosenfeld for founding COPAA and his inspiration. Two members of the Board merit special mention, Diane Lipton and Beth Goodman. Both passed away due to illness in 2002. Diane was a tireless leader of disability advocacy efforts in California and nationwide; Beth was a giant in special education in Washington, D.C. Both gave incredibly of themselves to COPAA. Our award for Outstanding Advocacy on behalf of Children with Disabilities is named in Diane's memory, and our scholarship program in Beth's memory.
As we go into the next decade, we thank all of our members--advocates, attorneys, parents, and others--for what they have brought to COPAA. We thank you for all that you do across this country to help families achieve a free appropriate public education for their children. Together, we are truly a national voice for special education rights and advocacy.
To observe our 10th anniversary, we invited COPAA members to write a note or essay for our webpage. Several of you participated. Read the many thoughts and memories here.
Locate attorneys and advocates in your area. 
