Education Specialist Appointed
14/01/2002
I would like to thank you again for the speedy and sensitive way in which you have dealt with this matter. I would have no hesitation in recommending your firm to anyone in the future.
Pamela, CastlefordIn its fourth appointment in the same number of weeks, Alexander Harris have further added to the specialist team based in its London Office being joined by highly reputed education and public law specialist, Douglas Silas. Douglas joins from London education and disability law specialists Levenes.
A spokesperson for Alexander Harris today said of the appointment:- "We are particularly delighted by this appointment, not only because Douglas is highly respected in the field of education law, but also because many of our clients are children who have special needs and it is quite often difficult for parents to obtain appropriate education for their child. We are looking forward to being able to further expand the nation-wide service we currently offer to existing and new clients in the field of education law."
Douglas will head the Education and Public Law Department at Alexander Harris whose work will include acting on behalf of children, disabled people and their families or other individuals who may be experiencing difficulties with schools, local education authorities, colleges and other institutions.
The department will offer a wide range of services by advising, assisting and representing clients in matters concerning admissions, exclusions, claims of education negligence (such as bullying or the failure to properly identify special needs and make necessary provision). It will focus particularly on special educational needs including appeals to and from the Special Educational Needs Tribunal and Judicial Reviews of local education authorities or other statutory bodies.
A fluent British Sign Language User with close links to the Deaf community, Douglas previously worked as an interpreter and communicator for deaf and deaf-blind people. Douglas is a Trustee of the Disability Law Service and a member of the British Deaf Association's Advisory Panel, the Education Law Association, the Education Practitioners Law group, the Group for Solicitors with Disabilities and the Disability Discrimination Act Advisor's Group. Douglas has appeared on television and radio on many occasions in recent years and has written a number of published academic and magazine articles on differing areas of law concerning deaf and disabled people including a regular legal column for the Royal National Institute for Deaf People's Magazine 'One in Seven'.
Douglas has been listed as an expert in Administrative and Public Law in the previous and current edition of Chambers and Partners' Guide to the Legal Profession which considered him to be "specially noted for his track record in a number of education and care driven judicial reviews" (2000/2001). He was also named as "Lawyer of the Week" in The Times at the end of 1999 in relation to the case of R v A Juror (Jeffrey McWhinney) where he acted on behalf of the first profoundly deaf Chief executive of the British Deaf Association in a high profile test case to establish the right of deaf people to serve as jurors.
Back to news
If you would like us to provide you with advice with regard to your potential claim, please complete our brief claim form. We will reply to your enquiry within one working day.
Fill out our quick claim form
If you would like to speak to someone directly about your claim, please call our friendly team on:
0870 024 0558