“I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible support your firm has provided my family, particularly regarding my child’s IEP. Verity Sandell has been an invaluable resource in this process, helping me to navigate the complexities of our situation and ensuring that I never felt alone in my concerns. Before working with Verity, I struggled to make sense of the IEP and found myself overwhelmed with questions. However, her guidance made a significant difference, and through her support, my child was able to receive the help they truly needed. For this, I am forever grateful. What stands out to me is how Verity encouraged my son to participate in his advocacy. This empowerment allowed him to articulate his own needs and desires effectively, further enhancing his educational experience. I look forward to continuing our work together in the future.”
— N.A., parent of child with an IEP
“Tracy Hartlieb and Cera Horste saved our son's education. We fought an uphill battle to support our son's learning, against serious odds and huge obstacles. Tracy and Cera gathered data, spoke with every professional they could think of, guided us in our strategy, listened quietly when needed, and fought vigorously when needed. Following a mediation, with the help of Tracy and Cera, we were able to conquer seemingly impossible odds and our son's future is now brighter than we ever could have imagined. We are overwhelmingly grateful for these incredible attorneys and advocates.”
— D. C-G., parent of a child with a disability
“I cannot offer high enough praise to Verity Sandell, my lawyer at Hartlieb Horste & Sandell. She was extremely knowledgeable, skilled and remarkable efficient throughout the entire complicated process. I couldn't have imagined having anyone better by my side in this difficult process.”
— J.B., parent of a child with a disability
“Cera and Tracy are awesome at what they do. They helped us get our son into the school he needed to be in not the one that the District was trying to force him into. They are super responsive and professional and I highly recommend them!!”
— D.S., parent of child with a disability
“Tracy and associates are excellent, thorough, knowledgeable and tireless advocates. They achieved outcomes for my daughter that I never would have thought possible. I highly recommend this firm for any educational legal needs.”
— L.M., parent of child with a disability
“Tracy and Cera provided top notch service, excellent thorough communication, and best of all - results. They knew exactly how to navigate all of the issues that arose with our potentially challenging IEP issue, and very quickly helped bring a positive resolution to the issue. I would recommend Hartlieb & Horste without reservation for your similar need.”
— J.B., parent of child with a disability
“We ended up hiring Hartlieb and Horste to get accommodations for our daughter that the school refused me 3 times. After conversations with them, we discussed our options and they walked me through which process was best for us. Once we had all the documentation we needed, they requested a meeting with the school. Both attorneys showed up to the meeting. I was impressed at how thorough they were, even down to adding or changing a word. They helped us set our daughter up for success not only for the remainder of her high school year, but also took into consideration her future and set her up for success for college. I couldn’t have been happier with them, and with their assistance they helped our daughter, helped alleviate not only mine but my daughters stress and frustration. Thank you!”
— T.M., parent of a child with a disability
“Tracy is a wonderful advocate for children with special needs. She is tenacious but kind and thoroughly reviewed all of our son's paperwork so that he received the education he legally deserved. She and Cera worked together to ensure that everything was take care of, and we could not be happier. If you want wonderful and caring attorneys, definitely choose this firm.”
— E.B., parent of a child with a disability
“After conversations with various attorneys and advocates regarding my the issues that I was having with my sons’s school district, I spoke with Tracy. I finally felt heard. Tracy was friendly, empathetic and honest about my issues and concerns.That’s when I made my decision to retain their services. I worked closely with Verity Sandell, regarding services and a placement issue. Verity was professional, transparent, extremely knowledgeable, compassionate and FIERCE! We were able to get everything that we asked for plus some with the help of Hartlieb Horste & Sandell. 10 stars!”
— D.G., parent of child with a disability
“I give Hartlieb, Horste & Sandell a superb rating. I am very pleased with the outcome. Atty. Sandell represented my family and she is very knowledgeable about the law and children's rights. Sandell is very proficient, organized, professional and made the process very comfortable. Thank you for representing my family. I could not have made a better choice.”
— J.G., parent of child with a disability
“After years and years of going through the motions and updating IEPs annually we were not seeing enough progress for our son and we were becoming extremely frustrated. The gap was growing. We thought we were doing as much as we could and were told our school was providing everything they could.
I was referred to Hartlieb & Horste by a colleague of mine. Tracy & Cera quickly reviewed our son's history and suggested various approaches to pursuing a therapeutic school for him. Their approach is very thorough and personal but most importantly they know the law and what your school district can provide but don't often suggest.
You hire a professional to take care of many things in your life but nothing is more important than your child! Hartlieb & Horste will guide you through all of the options that are available for your child and work diligently to get your child the proper support and placement they need. Unfortunately the system requires that you have an advocate who not just wants the best for your child but someone who knows your rights. Having Tracy and Cera on our side of the table changed the dialogue and our school's willingness to better support our son--we are forever grateful.”
— M.S., Parent of a child with an IEP
“I would recommend Hartlieb & Horste, LLC to anyone having trouble with their school. They have brought so much to the table in helping my child who now will get services they need to be successful in school. IEP meetings are very overwhelming but with them by your side, it makes it so much better. I will be continuing to use them for as long as my kids need them.”
— L.P., parent of child with IEP
“HARTLIEB & HORSTE, LLC did an amazing job handling my case! HARTLIEB & HORSTE were professional, honest, compassionate and took a collaborative approach while handling my case. I felt supported and validated while pursuing legal action against the school I was attending. HARTLIEB & HORSTE were always in communication with me and provided me with timely updates. Tracy Hartlieb was totally honest and realistic as she explained the different possible outcomes. She explained her fees and what I could do to help save money. I found her honesty refreshing. She was well worth her fee. With HARTLIEB & HORSTE’s help, the school I was attending made a more realistic disability accommodation for me and my issue was settled. Words cannot express how thankful I am for Hartlieb and Horste. Because of them I now have future in a field I am passionate about.”
— L.D., graduate student with 504 Plan
“I looooove this Law Firm! Cera is professional, courteous, and very responsive! Communication was consistent and clear. Fees were "very" responsible, and my case was handled with sooo much care and genuine concern for my son and myself during the legal process of 504 plan compliance with my son's school. I could not have picked a better team to work with. Our case was resolved in our favor and my son now attends school with no issues! I was very impressed with the work ethics of everyone involved and would definitely recommend Hartlieb & Horste to any family in need of 504 plan compliance services! Top notch work from start to finish!”
— M.G., parent of a child with a 504 Plan
“After talking to 2 other attorneys, Hartlieb & Horste were the "Goldilocks" perfect fit for my special education advocacy needs. The competency, attention to detail, and level of service provided were excellent, and resulted in the best outcome for my child that I could have hoped for."
— L.T., father of 4th grader with specific learning disability
“It was really great to work with the both of you and thanks for caring and making the process easy and smooth.”
— S.F. , parent of a child with an emotional disability
“From the start, the knowledge and experience of this practice was evident! They are thorough and skilled. I worked mostly with Cera, and her calm and friendly presence made this process seamless. My son got the appropriate placement for his needs and even his teacher of the deaf voiced how impressed she was with Cera and Tracy at our IEP. I highly recommend this practice. They will take great care of your child and fight with diligence and grace to get them what they need. You could not ask for more!!”
— L.K., parent of a 7th grade student
“Hartlieb & Horste, LLC is the attorney team you want to have on your side when dealing with a school district. Cera and Tracy are superb special education attorneys. They are thorough, professional, knowledgeable and understanding of your specific situation with your child. They are always anticipating what the next steps will be and are fully prepared when the opportunity presents itself. I am so very pleased with their fine quality of work, and would highly recommend them.”
— Julie C., parent of a 12th grader with multiple disabilities
“Our family is extremely pleased with the services provided by Hartlieb & Horste as we procured an IEP through CPS for our 2nd grader. Tracy and Cera are a great team. Both attorneys were responsive to our inquiries, wonderful at strategizing before "team" meetings, and clarifying the desired outcomes for what can be a daunting process. Tracy, in particular, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with CPS to the table. We worked with Hartlieb & Horste through the pandemic (July 2020-June 2021) and they were great with online/Zoom meetings and participating in IEP meetings virtually. Hartlieb & Horste helped our family move beyond the domain meeting (where we were stuck) to an eligibility meeting, the development and implementation of an IEP, and securing compensatory education services. We are glad that we hired Hartlieb & Horste as our advocates/guides through this process.”
— B. G., parent of a second grader with an IEP
“After a traumatizing experience in a cluster program, I was lucky to find Tracy Hartlieb who helped me negotiate a move to a school that supported my kiddo so much better. She knows me and my son so well, and goes out of her way to let us know she thinks of us often with check-ins and sharing programming or supports she thinks we might benefit from. Tracy and Cera are professional, responsive and so supportive. They have also been very considerate of my financial concerns. I can't imagine navigating the complex IEP process without them.”
— Shani B., parent of child with autism
“Cera and Tracy did an incredible job representing us to the Chicago Public Schools. They clearly mapped out the steps of the process. They exceeded our expectations and obtained an excellent result(district-funded placement in a therapeutic day school) for our special needs son. Most importantly they were caring and compassionate throughout the entire process. I highly recommend them!!! Money well spent.”
— Brian G., parent of a child with emotional disability and autism
“Tracy Hartlieb was there for us every step of the way of the IEP process at CPS. She was extremely thorough and made sure we all understood and felt comfortable with the process. She made sure we were well prepared and was successful in obtaining our desired outcome! She was also very conscientious of our financial concerns!”
— Rose V., parent of student with ADHD
“ We had the pleasure to work with Tracy Hartlieb. She is a great attorney. After we had some problems with our son's school district, Tracy helped us communicate with the school district. She came to our son's IEP, and she protected our son's rights. She was very helpful. Our first language is not English, and if we don't understand anything she will repeat it and try her best. We will definitely ask for her services in the future if we need her and recommend her to other people.”
— Safia B., parent of student with autism
“It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Tracy in advocating for client needs in the school system. She is knowledgeable, communicative, and passionate about her work to support children and families. Tracy understands the importance of mental health and advocates for the social-emotional needs of her clients. For parents needing support in advocating for their children’s special education needs, Tracy is an excellent resource!”
— Greer B., social worker
“
I had the opportunity to work with Tracy when she was the director of the Legal Advocacy Center at JCFS Chicago. She is dedicated and passionate about her work with clients, and the clients we’ve shared have found her immensely helpful. In addition, her presentations on special education law were very informative and useful in my work in testing clients with learning disabilities. I will continue to refer clients to her, as I’m confident in her ability to get them the resources that they need.”
— Pia T., clinicial psychologist
“
I had the pleasure of working with Tracy in a number of ways during her role as Director of the Legal Advocacy Center at JCFS. Tracy provided in-services to several of our programs regarding special education law that were immensely informative. In addition, she was available as a resource when I had questions about specific clients. Moreover, I referred several families to Tracy to assist with issues related to special education needs. Feedback from my clients was overwhelmingly positive. Tracy advocated for families in a sensitive manner that facilitated discussion with school personnel and that often led to implementation of needed services for the students she represented. I will continue to use Tracy as a referral for clients who need assistance on advocating for the educational needs of their children.”
— Carrie H., clinical psychologist
“I can't express my gratitude for all your help, support, and encouragement.
I am so happy [my daughter] is ready to start moving forward towards short term and planning long term goals.
We are focusing on the positive.
My thanks for everything Tracy, I really admire you for the work you do to help people. We feel so fortunate that you were there for us.”
— R. S., parent of student with autism
“I had the pleasure to attend an IEP meeting with Tracy Hartlieb. Tracy advocated for the family and was attentive to the child’s needs and respectful to everyone involved. As a practitioner hired by the family, I was impressed with the way Tracy paid attention to every detail in the IEP. Furthermore, Tracy sent a follow-up email to ensure that all amendments were made. Based on this experience, I highly recommend Tracy Hartlieb to all my clients who ask me for referral.”
— Shaden Kassar, BCBA with ASD Life ABA Therapy
“This group of dynamic educational attorneys are some of the best I've worked with in my time as a Dyslexia Specialist in the Chicagoland area. For any family looking to get legal guidance and support on how to ensure their child is receiving all the support they need and have the right to access in the State of IL, I would highly recommend Hartlieb, Horste & Sandell. They are deeply knowledgable and effective advocates who care about each and every one of their clients and their families in a way that is unique and stands out. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Grateful to have such a resource to partner with and refer clients to!”
— Kait Feriante, Director of Redwood Literacy