About Andrew Tatgenhorst
Legal Assistant: Kristy Alonzo | 512-615-2350 | kalonzo@thompsonhorton.com
Andrew has spent the entirety of his legal career in school law, serving the needs of school districts in a variety of capacities. His enduring passion for this field stems from his unwavering commitment to those dedicated to the future of Texas public schools and our children.
Andrew focuses his practice on the representation of school districts, and other educational entities, in all aspects of school law with particular emphasis on special education and disability law. He serves as general counsel to numerous school clients, delivering effective counsel on a wide variety of legal issues as the need arises. He also serves as special education counsel, where he regularly attends Admission, Review, and Dismissal meetings and represents schools in special education mediations, due process hearings, agency complaints, and court proceedings.
Prior to representing school districts, Andrew was a legal editor with LRP Publications; the leading national resource for special education conferences, trainings, and publications. In that role he was tasked with monitoring trends in special education law and developing educational content for school administrators and lawyers, including authoring numerous books and articles.
In addition to his work with Texas public schools, Andrew also serves as General Counsel to several stand-alone Library Districts established through the Texas Local Government Code.
Education
- J.D., The University of Pittsburgh, 2010
- B.A., Washington & Jefferson College, 2007
Licensing & Court Admissions
- Licensed in the state of Texas
- Licensed in the state of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Southern, Northern, Western, and Eastern Districts of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Memberships & Recognitions
- State Bar of Texas, School Law Section
- Texas Association of School Boards — Council of School Attorneys
Selected Client Representations
- Represents districts in special education due process hearings, mediations, and agency complaints.
- Counsels districts on many aspects of education law, including employment matters, special education, student discipline, public records law, FERPA, and complaints of discrimination and retaliation by students and staff.
- Conducted oral argument before the Fifth Circuit on behalf of Amicus Curiae Texas Association of School Boards Legal Assistance Fund.
- Drafted numerous briefs on behalf of Amicus Curiae Texas Association of School Boards Legal Assistance Fund in the Fifth Circuit on special education matters.
- Successfully represented districts in multiple complaints filed with the Special Education Department of the Texas Education Agency involving numerous claims.
- Successfully represented school district in special education lawsuit through a Fifth Circuit appeal.
- Successfully defended school districts against charges filed in a variety of federal and state administrative agencies.
Representative Presentations
- The School Nurse’s Role in Supporting Students with Disabilities, TCASE Great Ideas
- More than Band-Aids, Bumps, and Bruises The School Law First Aid Kit for School Nurses, Thompson & Horton Webinar
- Preparing for Life After the IDEA: Practical Tips for Legally Compliant Transition Planning, LRP National Institute on Legal Issues of Educating Individuals with Disabilities
- Liability Concerns for Special Education Personnel, TCASE Conference on Special Education Law
- Who, When, and How of Compensatory Education Awards, TCASE Great Ideas Convention
- Bullying and David’s Law: An Administrative Guide to Compliance with State and Federal Laws, TASA Mid-Winter Conference
- What School Boards Need to Know About Special Education Law, TASA/TASB Convention
- Building a Case for the Recovery of Attorney’s Fees, LRP Special Education School Attorneys Conference
Representative Publications
- Discipline Scenarios: Navigating the IDEA Procedural Framework (59-page book) (LRP Publications, 2019).
- Prior Written Notice Under the IDEA: Who, When and How? (55-page book)(LRP Publications, 2017).
- School Districts’ Guide to Postsecondary Transition for Students with Disabilities (42-page book) (LRP Publications, 2016).
- Discipline Dilemmas: Your Guide to Avoiding the Top IDEA and Section 504 Mistakes (101-page book) (LRP Publications, 2014).
- What Do I Do When… The Answer Book on Special Education Law (480-page book) (LRP Publications, 2014).