Sharon F. Gooding, M.Ed, Esq. is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Northern Arizona University where she teaches “School and Society” as well as “Education Law.” Prior to this, Ms. Gooding practiced special education law for thirteen years. During the beginning of her career, Ms. Gooding represented parents and for over a decade she was in-house counsel and compliance supervisor for a large urban school district. Throughout her years of experience, Ms. Gooding has presented at numerous conferences and providing professional development regarding issues on school equity and diversity, disproportionality in special education and conflict resolution strategies. A trained mediation, Ms. Gooding takes pride in exhibiting a well-balanced approached that is child-centered and focused on providing practical advice to all participants during the IEP process.