At Woodsmall Law it is about the kids! Here are just a few things that our clients have shared:
"Words cannot express how grateful we are to you and your firm for all that you have done for our daughter *****. Your knowledge, commitment and high ethics were apparent from the start - we couldn't have asked form more. ***** will start at Frostig on April **th. It will take some adjusting, but we believe she will thrive there. We will try to keep you posted and will likely be in touch in the fall when the IEP comes around."
"Mark Woodsmall helped my family when we were in dire need. My son could not connect to the world around him. He could not learn. His behaviors impeded him (and us) from participating in life. Mark provided compassionate and tireless counsel. He knows the law and effective treatments. He cares deeply for my son and my family. I cannot adequately express the gratitude I feel for him. Today my son is playing with his cousin. My son has come so far in life. Mark has been an integral part of the group of people who have helped my son emerge."
*** and ******* *******
"We will always be thankful for the opportunities you helped secure for ****. For now we are grateful "things" are "quiet;"probably due to the relationship you helped us establish. **** is responding! We wish you, and your family, all of the best this new year!"
**** & *****
"Words cannot express our thankfulness towards you! We feel so blessed to have you as *******’* attorney. Your professionalism and passion for the cause is amazing! Thanks for not giving up on us during this time of hardship in our lives. We couldn't imagine going thru this process without your help! May God reward you and your family abundantly!"
Sincerely,
*****, ****** and *******
"You and your family have been on my mind and I just needed to say thank you. You put so much into ****'* case. I cannot tell you how impressed I was with your professionalism and your genuine concern for **** and her situation. Your children are very lucky to have such a caring father. Thank you to your family for the time you spent here when you could have been with them. I pray that God will richly bless you and your family and especially Andrew."
Very sincerely, ***** (grandma)
"Dear Mr. Woodsmall,
We just wanted to thank you for all your help with the special ed process for our son. Thank you for doing your workshops, for the consultation and for answering our endless questions every time we see you. (autism walk, resource fair). We really appreciate all of the help you've given us and our son."
Sincerely,
******** & ***** ***** :)
"Thank you like always for all that you do for my baby girl, I could never do this without you. You have been such an important aspect of her life, I am sure you are disagreeing with me at this point. (But God blessed us many years ago in that waiting room)."
Blessings,
******
"Thank you so much for all of your help transitioning **** in the *usd. She is finally starting school on October **th. (we are keeping our fingers crossed). Having your firm handle ****'* case made our lives easier and relieved a great deal of stress. We appreciate your professionalism, efficiency and legal counsel."
Sincerely,
*****, *****, **** & ** ****
"We wanted to thank you for having helped our daughter "******," obtain the services she needs. We thank God for putting good people in our path through this difficulty journey, and we were truly lucky to meet you."
Sincerely,
***** & ******** *******
"I was referred to Mr. Woodsmall by a special needs advocate who highly recommended him. Working and getting to know Mr. Woodsmall and his firm has been one of the best things that happened to my daughter who is attending elementary school in Fullerton district.
Working with the school was like beating a dead horse, but after working with Mr. Woodsmall, things started to move forward with the school, and got favorable result that made a significant difference for my daughter's educational setting and my family's life. More than any of the expertise or specialized knowledge he has, Mr. Woodsmall changed my perception about working with an attorney. He is someone whom I can highly recommend to be a trusted advisor and someone that will truly have the best interest of his clients."
"I have worked with Mark Woodsmall several times, as a legal advocate for my daughter with special needs. He is a brilliant advocacy lawyer and found solutions that worked. My daughter has blossomed with the services the district offered. I am so grateful for his compassion, the personal nature of his work ethic, and the incredible attention to detail that he brings to the table. The best."
Dr. ***** *. *****
"I have engaged the services of Woodsmall Law Group for a few legal issues. Mark and his team have always provided timely service, even providing valuable insight which we had not previously considered on more than one occasion. While the practice is conducted in a very professional manner, there has always been significant personal contact and a sense of connection between the staff and my family."
******* ******
"My husband I have worked with the Woodsmall group for nearly 7 years. and honestly, if I could give them 10 stars I would. As a parent of a child with multiple disabilities , Mark Woodsmall and Nelson Chu have helped our child get the proper educational placement , obtain multiple services, including Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, mutiple Independent Evaluations that helped drive appropriate goals and compensatory services. All the above would not have been possible without Mark and his caring staff. Mr. Woodsmall and his associates have not just helped our child, but have walked side by side with both my husband and myself through the minefield of advocating for our amazing daughter."
* *******
"I was unsure where to find a reliable source to address several advocacy questions. Fortunately, I came across WOODSMALL LAW GROUP while searching through COPAA website. The ethical and empathetic consultation I received from meeting with Mr. Mark Woodsmall in such a short amount of time was godsent. The team of professionals on staff are clearly dedicated to serving the needs of special needs families. I left with realistic options I didn't know existed and that will serve our families individual needs. So glad that I was able to locate this amazing group of professionals."
***** *****
"Woodsmall Law Group has been a godsend to our family. We really felt discouraged with our child’s IEP and were looking for some advice and help. Mark and his team were incredibly knowledgeable and prompt, respectful of our concerns and wishes for our child, and helped us through the entire process. We feel so fortunate to know that WLG will continue to be a part of our child’s educational career."
***** ****
"We retained Mark for assistance with special education, regional center and IHSS matters and have worked with the his firm for over seven years. Each time Mark and his team have proven themselves immensely competent, knowledgeable, thorough and gracious to our family, opposing counsel as well as the judge, mediator and school administrator.
Mark has built a firm that nobly advocates for the cause of those impacted with disabilities. Time and again they've delivered outstanding service and dedication which has been a tremendous benefit to our son and our family."
* *
"We and our children are so grateful for the work that Mark and Max did on their behalf. We would recommend them again and again."
******* *********
"We have the best part of a decade working with the Woodsmall Law Group attorneys. Our family struggles so that my Daughter, with a disability, obtains the best education services in her school district. Without the help of Mark Woodsmall and his kind lawyers, it would not have been possible to obtain them. They are responsible, kind, respectful, and fighters. We recommend them to any family in the search for a good lawyer for their children. Thanks Woodsmall Law Group !!"
******* *******
My son has been represented by Woodsmall Law Group on multiple occasions over the last 6 years, from helping us deal with the ever so confusing IEP process, to providing information on setting up a Special Needs Trust for my son’s future. I have always been extremely satisfied with their services every time. Mark Woodsmall, and the associates who have worked with us, have all been excellent! Always very professional, yet personable, informative, and highly knowledgeable about special education law, and so much more. Mark has helped us with past IEPs, and has represented my son on (2) separate occasions, in which, a Due Process was filed, but did not end up going to court, because Mark was able to successfully settle on an Agreement with the Pasadena Unified School District, that resulted in my son finally getting the support he needed to, at the least, have a chance to succeed. What is really unique about Mark, is the vast knowledge he possesses, that exceeds beyond just Special Education Law. Mark has a deeper understanding of WHAT constitutes an “individualized “ education plan...and how the goals, objectives, and “other related services” CAN, and SHOULD, be supporting that plan... As a pediatric OT AND mother, I was most impressed with Mark’s ability to carefully break down, synthesize, and make sense of my son’s IEP, from the lens of an occupational therapist, speech therapist, educator, and parent, who also fought for his child’s needs too. With that, he knew exactly what was needed for my son in regards to academics, to social/emotional growth, and so much more. We are truly grateful, and so appreciate what Mark, his team of attorneys (esp. Nelson and Justin), and staff have done for my son...We have always felt very supported and understood, even in the most difficult of times for my son and family, which will ALWAYS be remembered...The commitment to their clients, and passion for what they do, has surely made us clients for life!
******
We have been referred to Mark by a very close friend, and for sure we were struggling with school and school district, my son was already started to be very depressed. When I met Mark I knew that I am in a safe hand. He is very kind, knowledgeable, humble, and like mentioned in all other reviews he is a parent like us, he feels our pain and knows exactly our needs. He can fight for you!
We were very thankful to find him and his team, we worked with Kelly. Everything was accurate, on time, organized and efficient. We highly recommend Mark and his team.
*********
Yesterday I had an initial consultation with Mark after months of frustration going back and forth with my son's school district with issues pertaining to his special education services. I was very nervous, being a teacher myself for many years I'm not used to being out of my element in anything education related. Mark put me right at ease and was so patient in listening and addressing all my questions and concerns. Being in the education field myself I was also very impressed with his knowledge of not only special education law, but also of the workings of individual local school districts. He wasn't pushy and was extremely honest about the realities of my situation. I walked in feeling pretty hopeless and walked out feeling confident because I knew I had found someone I could trust to fight by my side.
*******
One of the most astonishing things about meeting Mark Woodsmall was not that he was easily the most knowledgeable person we'd met in his trade, nor was it his impeccable record for achieving outstanding results for children with disabilities, though both those are true. It wasn't that he was beating out the four other top legal teams in Southern California -- all who bragged to be the best. The most astonishing thing about Mark Woodsmall was his humanity.
We picked Mark because 1) we knew he had first-hand knowledge of what we were dealing with, having a 15-year-old non-verbal autistic son. 2) We picked him because he had answers that instantly simplified problems and moved an impossible situation in an immediate direction towards change. and 3) When talking to us parents, Mark made it clear that our son, Marcello was his client. That he came first, a promise he's kept.
My only regret is that I didn't find Mark sooner. He has created possibilities for our son that I didn't even know existed. In the short time, he has been operating as ********'s representation, he has gone to bat with both the school district and the state, and in both cases, he has come out with everything we asked for and more.
I will tell you that I know there are lawyers out there who will bulldoze their way through the system, and you might get your needs met. But Mark is a cut above that. Every room that I have entered with Mark he instantly disarms folks and opens the conversation up in such a way that terms are agreed to with almost no argument.
The office and his staff are all a reflection of his standards. All knowledgeable, and capable in a way that makes it easy to move forward, something that is so difficult to do in the world of disabilities. Whenever we've found ourselves in a moment where our son might be losing services, or worse, might be floundering due to the lack of services, just the mention of the Woodsmall Law Group instantly changes the difficult dialogue with whatever institution we are facing. Every filing, every motion, every approach in which we needed help, was done in such a way that future pitfalls were eradicated.
On a personal note, The last few years has been our most difficult -- we walked into the Woodsmall offices with some really big problems. We had been with lawyers who had done nothing for us but collect fees and give us the bare minimum in exchange. With one look Mark let us know how much we were missing out on, and that we needed to work toward it, something he has personally done ever since. He has changed the trajectory for our son and continues to do as much. It just doesn't get better than Woodsmall Law Group, it definitely doesn't get better than Mark Woodsmall.
********
Angels on Earth! Yup, they are real, and they all work at Woodsmall Law Group. Head angel, Mark Woodsmall is the very best at what he does. I feel like he and his team were angels that were heaven sent to me. After years of battling it out with our school district, I had given up. I was emotionally and physically spent from the battlefield that was the IEP process. I clearly remember sitting at my computer in tears. I just couldn't believe that I would not be able to help my son by getting the services he needed to succeed in school. A friend of mine recommended Mark to me. I went online and started to research him and his firm. He had nothing but praises, one review after another. This can't be real, I thought. I was afraid of believing that there was actually someone in the world able and willing to help us. I met with him shortly after that. He was so helpful and informative. His voice was so serene and his demeanor kind and compassionate. I think he knew that I was broken and at the end. He brought me back to life. He assured me that not only was their hope but that he was willing to help us, that he WANTED to help us. All this sounds really good. I hope this is real. (still doubting that he wasn't just another attorney out to make a profit) It was a process, but Mark fought tenaciously for my son. We were already at the settling stage in our case when our family was hit with devastating news from my son's medical team. Right as I had gotten off the phone with the doctor Justin, (our co-counsel from Marks office) had called me to go over the settlement. I was obviously very emotionally impacted. I shared with him the news. I told him that I would call him back as I needed some time to digest what I had just been told. Justin was very empathetic and kind at a moment when I needed it. Mark then called me, and what happened next was pure divinity. He asked if there was anything he or his team could do for us, he was so concerned for my son. I could here pure heartfelt compassion in his voice. At that moment we weren't client and attorney. We were just 2 parents talking to one another. Now, for the second time, Mark had brought me back to life. He wanted me to know that Woodsmall law group was there for my son and that they cared for him very much. He helped me process what I had just been told. Mark is not just an attorney. He is a parent. He is someone who is passionate about helping the disabled community. He is kind and genuine. He is an angel. The entire office staff is wonderful. Veronica, Maria, Justin, thank you all so much for your support. And so here I am, at my computer, in tears again. Only this time they are tears of joy. Mark went back and amended the settlement (which he didn't have to do, but he wanted to make sure that ***** would receive what he needed) I got everything that I wanted from the school district and then some. Thank you, Mark and associates, for making our family apart of yours and for helping ***** get the services that he needed. We are very fortunate to have met you! Blessings to you Mark, and your magnificent law firm!!!
*******
Mark and his staff are amazing! Legal matters are stressful. Family matters are stressful. Combine the two and it is a wonder they are able to handle things with such grace and professionalism.
Our son ******** was falling behind in school and my wife and I could not figure out why. When we went to the teachers and principal of his school for some answers, we were given a lot of empty promises and wishful thinking (translation: bureaucratic delays). Mark identified the quickest route between our worries and a true solution and he fought with the school on our behalf. Empty promises get you nowhere and mark made sure they set goals that could be measured and met.
It took some time, but the end result is that our son is no longer the exhausted, beaten down, and helpless student that he once was. In addition, we are no longer the exhausted, beaten down, and helpless parents that were unable to guide him out of his dilemma.
It turned out that our son had a learning disability that required early intervention from the school and that no matter how much effort we were putting in as parents, it was not enough to correct the course he was on. Because Mark worked with school administrators and staff to implement a plan of action, our son is now an honor society student who has the confidence and strength to succeed in school on his own.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for saving our child and giving his life a new direction. We hope this review gives others an idea of how valuable Mark and his staff are to families facing similar challenges.
******
Mark is by far the best. Listens to your concerns and will tell you what the best option or strategy is. He is truly an advocate for disabled children. Parents with disabled children are fortunate to have him on their side. Thank you Mark and associates for the enlightenment. Strong Work! you will not be disappointed.
After years of frustration with my sons school district a good friend of mine referred me to Mark Woodsmall. My friend formerly worked for a local school district and knew Mr. Woodsmall as opposing counsel for years and let me know that he was very professional and always represented the families he worked with well. From the moment I started discussing my case with him and his associate Grace Paek, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I had been alone fighting with the school district for 6 years and anyone in that position knows it takes a toll on you. They were both so kind and ready to jump in and help me get my son everything that he needed. My case settled in a mediation which was a long day of back and forth between us and the district. After years of the district screwing my son over at one point I broke down and thought they wouldn't agree to some important parts of the proposal, Mark again was so kind and calmed my nerves. Ultimately, he was able to settle the case and I am beyond pleased with the outcome! I wish I had contacted him sooner, I am confident that my son would be in a much better position if I had but I am so happy that he will be moving forward with supports in place that will help him. Mark really is amazing, it is clear that he loves his work and is happy to be there to help the little guy's. I can not thank both Mark and Grace enough!
******
Mark Woodsmall and the entire staff at Woodsmall Law Group have been our son's advocate for years and have helped us provide our son with the education he deserves. This can be a stressful and emotional process and they are all very compassionate and provide calm guidance. Mark is committed to making sure our son succeeds and we trust him completely throughout the process. I cannot say enough good about Mark Woodsmall and his entire group.
*****
Supporting a child with autism can be tricky without pursuing legal avenues. Taking on a huge institution on top of that would have no doubt put us at a disadvantage if it weren't for the expertise of Mark Woodsmall and his team. He and his office have the accumulated experience to know how to help the novice navigate these complex systems and get the desired result. I'm incredibly grateful for the work they did preparing and representing us and cannot recommend them highly enough.
****
Mark and his amazing team had fought tooth and nail for our son’s rights and delivered everything they promised and then some. Hiring Mark to help us with the school placement and the IHSS for our son is one of the best decisions we ever made and we can’t thank them enough. Thank you Mark, Justin and the rest of the staff at Woodsmall law group. You guys are the best!!
**** *******
I discovered Woodsmall Law Group by attending a free workshop facilitated by Mark Woodsmall. He was sharing and educating parents on the IEP process. I had been struggling with our school district's special education department for many years. My son was categorized as emotionally disturbed and required placement in a "special education" setting. Over the course of 6 years I worked diligently to get the school district to understand that the programs offered were not meeting his needs and that the cookie cutter approach was not going to be successful in helping him meet his potential. It was actually preventing it. My frustration and my son's deteriorating behavior led me to seek legal counsel. I reached out to Mark Woodsmall and after hearing my long story and reviewing my documentation he determined that the school district failed to meet their legal responsibilities for my son’s education. I pursued legal action for this to assist placing him in residential treatment located out of state.
The reason I am writing this review is because I truly believe that Woodsmall Law Group is very different from other law firms. Mark has great experience in dealing with school districts and extensive expertise in education law. But most importantly Mark runs his firm based on his personal values of integrity, honesty, fairness, and doing what is best for the families and most importantly their children. His team mirrors those same values. If the school district would have had a fraction of the concern for my son’s well-being that Mark and his team demonstrated, legal action may not have been necessary. I find this approach to be exemplary and certainly what distinguishes Woodsmall Law Group.
My son is now in residential treatment and on the honor roll. His behavior has greatly improved and we are anticipating his return by year end. This most likely would not have happened without the help provided by Woodsmall Law Group.
****** *******
Can’t thank Mark and his team enough for all they have done for both my sons! It’s been a 15 year relationship. Both sons have required representation and advocacy to make sure they received the education they are entitled to. Both my sons are in a much better position to succeed thanks to Mark and team,. The firm absolutely knows the law and how to navigate the often cumbersome process of dealing with school districts, the courts, and service providers. 1000% recommended by us. So lucky we found him...
***** *****
Thank you Mark, Justin and everybody at Woodsmall Law Group. Navigating the Special Needs world is not easy and very intimidating. The Woodsmall Law Group was able to break it down, and suddenly it seemed manageable with their guidance. They provide an invaluable service, and have achieved great results for our children. Couldn't recommend them more!
****** ********
We have known Mark Woodsmall since 2005. Mark is such a great attorney, advocate, and person. He represented us during our son’s IEP with great success. He is a passionate attorney who knows the struggles and joys of having a child with special needs. We recently contacted him due to an urgent matter and he made himself available despite his very busy schedule. In my personal opinion, I don’t believe there is another Special Needs Attorney like him!
******** *******
If you have a bright child with learning differences who is struggling in public schools, I urge you to have a consultation with Mark Woodsmall. Under the representation of his firm, your child's educational trajectory can make a complete 180 for the better. As my husband said, it was the best money we ever spent.
********
Mark, Robert and the whole staff are nice, compassionate people. They care about you and your family first! They are not what you expect from your stereotypical attorneys. They were able to assist me and my family today and moving forward. We will forever be thankful to everyone here, thank you!
*****
Only place in town... Good place, good people
***** ******
Mr. Mark Woodsmall in our opinion is the best special education attorney. He represented us in the school district and regional center. He got the services my son needed. He made us feel safe and that we were not alone in the process. He is very professional and has a lot of experience. He knows how to listen to your concerns, he is very honest and cares about your child's future, but, above all, he is a great human being. We really appreciate your work and thank you for all your support. If you are looking for an attorney to represent you in your child's special education, contact Woodsmall law group. Mr Woodsmall is the best!
* ********