Our Team

Attorneys

Ms. Carriger is an associate attorney who practices in the education practice area with an emphasis on special education. She represents school districts, county offices of education and Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPAs) in all matters of law impacting students with disabilities.

Legal Experience

A 2008 law school graduate, Ms. Carriger serves her clients by advising and providing representation on a variety of special education matters and student-related issues, including:

• Designing and implementing programs, services and placement for students with disabilities
• Compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
• Student discipline and expulsion matters
• Responding to discrimination complaints filed with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and compliance complaints filed with the California Department of Education (CDE)
• Post-high school transition services for individuals with disabilities
• Representing clients at Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings
• Representing clients in mediations and settlement conferences
• Researching and responding to requests for legal opinions
• Drafting settlement agreements
• Drafting and responding to motions

While attending law school, Ms. Carriger worked as a certified law clerk, first for the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, then later for Justice in Education, a non-profit law firm. At Justice in Education, she consulted with and trained clients about their children’s special education rights. She also gained valuable experience advocating for clients at school IEP meetings.

In addition, Ms. Carriger worked at the Whittier Law School Special Education Clinic, where she advocated on behalf of parents and children with disabilities seeking special education services through their local school districts.

Prior to law school, Ms. Carriger worked for the Sacramento chapter of Breakthrough Collaborative, where she taught English and writing to academically motivated middle school students from under-resourced schools in the Sacramento area.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Ms. Carriger believes in giving back to her community and has volunteered her time for a variety of organizations, both prior to and while attending law school. Some of the organizations she has assisted include: Equi-Ed, a therapeutic equestrian program for children and adults with and without disabilities; the Center for Children’s Rights; the Social Justice Society; and the Juvenile Detention Advocacy Program.

Other professional activities and affiliations include:

• Member, California State Bar Association
• Member, Sacramento County Bar Association

Academic Background

B.A. University of California, Davis, 2005

• Dean's List

J.D. Whittier Law School, 2008

• Dean’s List
• Recipient, Merit Scholarship
• Recipient, Outstanding Fellow, Center for Children’s Rights
• Recipient, Outstanding Graduate in Legal Writing
• Recipient, CALI Awards, Professional Responsibility, Family Law, Criminal Procedure and Juvenile Justice
• Research Editor, Whittier Law Review
• Author, “Teach Me to Act: California’s Use of Title 1D Funds for Delinquent Students,” Whittier Law Review, Vol. 30 n. 2 (2008)
• Legal Writing Teaching Assistant

Civil Mediation Program, Sonoma County Superior Court, 2009