Hansen & Cleary, LLC

10/09/2025

New legislation alert, Public Act 104-0211: As of August 15, 2025 new limitations have been imposed on settlement and mediation agreements regarding students’ special educational rights. Now, parties may only waive prospective claims that involve the specific student and that are related to the dispute being settled. Additionally, the waiver must be “reasonable” in length and cannot exceed the duration of the settlement agreement.

For the full text of the amendment, see -

Bill Text (2025-08-15) SCH CD-SPECIAL ED-SETTLEMENT [Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0211]

09/15/2025

Are you looking for excellent legal representation for your child's education matter? At Hansen & Cleary we will advocate for your child's unique needs.

08/14/2025

As the new school year begins, parents of students with special needs may be attending back-to-school IEP meetings. Here are some tried and true tips to help you prepare for your next meeting:
https://www.hansencleary.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hansen-Cleary-Article-Page.pdf

06/26/2025

Today is the 8th anniversary of the founding of Hansen & Cleary, LLC! We would not be here without the support of our amazing employees, clients and referral sources. A giant thank you to everyone who have helped us along the way!

05/13/2025

Our entire team at Hansen & Cleary enjoying the Women's Power Lunch last week at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Chicago.

05/01/2025

Thank you to The Alliance for Early Childhood for the Sponsor Spotlight. We are so happy to sponsor such an incredible organization.

🌟 Sponsor Spotlight: Hansen & Cleary 🌟

We are proud supporters of the Alliance for Early Childhood and their incredible work in our community. Together, we’re working to achieve meaningful outcomes for children and their families.​

Hansen & Cleary, LLC is a boutique law firm based in Northbrook, Illinois, dedicated to representing children, families, individuals with disabilities, medical and mental health professionals, private schools, and non-profit agencies throughout the greater Chicagoland area and the State of Illinois. Their practice areas include special education law, mental health law, guardianship, school discipline, and more.

Learn more: https://www.hansencleary.com/

Thank you, Hansen & Cleary, for your partnership and support!

Hansen & Cleary, LLC

04/24/2025

Our colleague, Erin Ross of The A.T. Tutor, is co-hosting a free webinar with Kirby Rabalais, a father of a son with Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome and founder/coach of 4titude on May 7th at noon. They will be sharing their story of connection and the missions of our companies. Anyone interested should check it out.

03/03/2025

Hansen & Cleary was honored to attend the Hyde Park Day School 25th Anniversary Gala on Friday night to support the Bright Futures Scholarship Fund.

01/30/2025

Hansen & Cleary is very proud to announce that Jenni Hansen has been named as an Illinois Super Lawyer for the 5th year in a row.

11/07/2024

Congratulations to our newest associate, Nuwani Irizarry, on her official swearing in by the Illinois Supreme Court yesterday. We are so proud of Nuwani and excited to have her on our team!

10/15/2024

We are so excited to announce that we have hired a second associate to join our talented team. Please help us welcome Nuwani Irizarry to Hansen & Cleary. Nuwani is a former special education teacher and administrator, as well as a 2024 graduate of the Tulane University Law School.

08/29/2024

It's the beginning of the school year - does your child have an IEP? Check out our guidance for the new school year: