These testimonials or endorsements do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of a legal matter.



Even though I knew my daughter's suspension was wrong, it wasn't even about the suspension any more, it was about making sure schools are checking and documenting their facts and doing the right thing for all the children involved. This was clearly not happening.  When I picked legal counsel out of the yellow pages, I really scored when I found Michelle Ball. She was straightforward, knowledgeable, and understanding of my situation. There were no delusions however of an easy win. She started by drafting a letter to the school district stating my wishes and requesting a hearing if they would not comply. Of course, as expected, they did not lift the suspension and scheduled a hearing. Although Michelle diligently helped prepare me for the hearing, I can't tell you how relieved I was to get her phone call the day before the hearing telling me that the district was removing the suspension and we had won. Miracles do happen – that miracle was finding Michelle Ball. She treated me with respect and gave powerful legal structure to my words and actions.– DG

We would like to thank you very much for the very successful resolution of our case. The outcome far exceeded our expectations and we could not be any more pleased. We appreciate the professional manner in which you handled our case and although we certainly hope that we never require your services again, we would certainly refer you to anyone that we know whose child might find themselves in the same position that our son was in. Again thank you for your help. –GB & SB

Thanks to Michelle Ball for successfully taking on my son’s case who was just weeks away from graduating High School when he was faced with expulsion, because a knife was found in my car. His name had “come up” along with 6 other students in a conversation with the V.P. and a highly intoxicated student found passed out on the bathroom floor in the gym. He granted consent for the V.P. to search my vehicle for open alcohol knowing full well that there was none. Imagine our shock and surprise when the V.P. pressed charges for finding a small knife that I’ve had in my car for 20 years! Not only did she [Michelle Ball] get the school district to drop their pursuit of expulsion charges, but she was instrumental in getting his case thrown out of court as well. My son was able to finish school through Home Instruction and received his diploma from the school he had been attending for 4 years. A thousand “THANK YOU’S” for helping him graduate!!!
–H.F.K.



Michelle was my ray of light in a very dim situation. My daughter was facing expulsion of two semesters, one school year, her junior year. The school board superintendent had just informed me that we would have the option of my daughter being home schooled or sent to an alternative school where “the attending students had just been released from jail or were one foot from being put into jail”. When I had suggested putting her in another school inside the school district he flatly said “no”. That she couldn’t go to another school in our district or any other public high school in the state! This sentence had been given due to finding smoking paraphernalia in her drawer at summer camp before the school year started, finding a cigarette lighter in her backpack the previous school year and smoking on campus the beginning of her freshman year.

When I stated I wanted a lawyer, the superintendent told me I could, however that it had never been done before! The hearing was in two weeks. I got Michelle’s name from a lawyer friend of mine. I had never heard of an Educational Lawyer. Michelle informed us of our rights, found errors in the written statements the superintendent had given us then advised us on the possible outcomes. Immediately the school district started finding other options. The expulsion was reduced to a suspended expulsion for one semester. My daughter was admitted into a nationally recognized charter school in our district and is well on her way to graduation with honors. I couldn’t be more pleased. –C.W.

Dear Michelle, I was very worried my son would be expelled from school for being intoxicated at a school football game. It was his first mistake and the school didn’t care if my son was a straight "A" student and had never been in trouble before. They had zero tolerance. I didn’t know who to turn to until I was referred to your office by my legal membership plan. When we first met, you gave us confidence that the matter could be settled outside of a board hearing because of your expertise, and you stayed on top of our case even with your caseload. You were easy to contact and resolved the matter before the scheduled hearing. My son was administratively transferred to another school instead of being expelled for the remainder of the year and has now returned to his former school. He learned a valuable lesson, is back on track, and has kept his grades up. Thank you for your help. -V.B.



Dear Michelle Ball,

Sometime ago you performed some work for me and I just wanted to thank-you for everything you did for me. I received my degrees and my first semester of credentialed teaching was intense. 500 children in one choir, seventy-five children in another choir, 200 children in band (so I made four marching bands), six hundred children in general music (three hundred on recorder) and high school and junior high school marching band games and rehearsals.

I thought I was going to collapse after Christmas. I am publishing my second set of books: Method Books for Band and I am applying for jobs to get back to Sacramento as a teacher.

I want to thank-you once again for everything you did for me.

Sincerely, Jamie Barnes

I hired Michelle Ball to assist me in my education case with my child who at the time was attending a private school. Ms. Ball was recommended to me by two different people who had engaged her services for situations similar to my child’s. Ms. Ball and her staff were courteous, extremely sensitive and highly professional in carrying out their commitment to get the best possible outcome. Moreover, Ms. Ball, besides having a “legal eagle quality” with Education Law, is very knowledgeable and well-versed on how the different school districts and private schools operate in the surrounding counties in the Central Valley and Sacramento area.  I learned a great deal from her that was helpful in tactical decisions in my child’s case. .  Because of Ms. Ball’s experience and legal expertise, the outcome of my case was beyond my expectations given that she was dealing with a private school. I would, without any reservations, recommend her to any parent who would be in need of her very valuable service. -M.B.



Michelle was able to help our family when my 16 year old son was being considered for expulsion from high school. Our son had been behaving poorly and was involved in the theft of school property. To make matters worse he had been fishing the day before and had a small fishing knife in his back pack. Michelle was able to work with the school district and our son was placed on suspension, and we agreed that he would not return to his high school for one semester in lieu of expulsion. We were very pleased with this outcome as he will not have an expulsion on his record. –S.S.



Hi everyone, my name is Chris and I called Michelle a few years back to help me deal with a situation that I went through with a paramedic program that I was in and later went on to complete successfully. I enrolled in the program about four years ago and finished the first two phases of the program and was in the middle of the third and final phase when I began running into some serious issues with the school and the way things were being handled. My hours were not being counted and there were some other issues too. I went up the chain, within the school, and my problems were not being addressed. I was working a lot and had invested everything I had saved toward getting through the program, so when I felt I could no longer risk waiting to see what would happen, I left the program and accepted a job with the fire department. Shortly after starting the fire academy, I received a letter from the school saying I had been dismissed from the program. I was allowed to write three appeal letters, so I did, and every time I was denied. So upon completion of the fire academy I contacted Michelle and explained the situation, and provided her all the documentation that I had. Within two weeks or so I was readmitted and since then I went on to complete my internship and have held my license for about a year now.  You have no idea how important receiving my medic license has been to me and I have to say without Michelle it would not have happened. Anyways, thank you Michelle, more than you'll ever know...and by the way, Michelle's fees were very reasonable.
–C.C.



Dear Michelle, I am writing you to tell you that my husband and I are deeply grateful to you and your staff for your devotion and professionalism.
 
We were at our wits end on trying to resolve our sons educational needs with the public school system.  We thought schools where there to educate and help us.  We found however, the bureaucracy and legalities involved were overwhelming and that the school and the District where not interested in helping us or our son but instead interested in their own agenda.
 
After years of advocating for our son, we finally decided to get some professional help.  After finding your listing in the Yellow Pages under Educational Law, I felt that maybe finally we had found someone that had an understanding of what our struggle had been.  Immediately after the first phone call I felt relief.  After speaking to your secretary I thought, "finally someone that can help".
 
My thoughts where right.  The best decision I made was making that phone call that day.  Once you got involved everything changed.  Thanks to your help our son is now successful in school.  He is getting the help he needs and is on his way. His self esteem and motivation has changed due to the changes that the school has made.
 
I know we would have never gotten our sons educational needs met without your involvement.  After years of trying I know this is true. I speak to many parents and grandparents who are going insane dealing with the current school system and I tell them my story, our sons story, and how are lives changed after getting your help. 
 
There are too many children who are suffering needlessly and parents who worry about them.  Parents who try hard to work with their local schools, believe what they say, as we did, but get nowhere.  Our son is on the road to success because I made that call, that day two years ago. I feel relieved to know there is someone in his corner other than his father and I. I no longer feel helpless because I have the comfort of knowing if I need help, I have found a great recourse.
 
That great recourse is you, Michelle Ball. I know without your expertise and professionalism we would never have been able to have our sons specific needs met. Our family thanks you. 
 
Thank you.    
 
–G.B.



Michelle Ball took our case and successfully obtained an alternative that was better than the options that we were given by the school.  Now our child is on track to graduate while remaining in the public school system.  She also informed us of rights that our child has in school and helped obtain a special plan so that the school can better accommodate our child in the learning process.  Michelle is the greatest! –D.W. & M.W.    
 


Michelle Ball is a very good attorney to represent families that face education discipline disputes with school districts. Michelle will take the time to educate you on what to expect, along with being a great advocate for you when dealing with school districts. She will also give great advice regarding what possible outcomes you can expect depending on what discipline action you are facing. Our son was initially charged with drug possession with intent to sell at a Sacramento-area high school and facing not only suspension but also possible expulsion. With Michelle’s help, we identified errors in the school’s incident report and got the intent to sell charge removed from his record. In addition, the school district dropped their pursuit of an expulsion hearing for our son. As a result, I highly recommend Michelle Ball to represent your interests to the highest degree during times when families often do not know what to do or who to believe. –W.H.    
 


These testimonials or endorsements do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of a legal matter.